


Belle

by RuminantRambling



Series: Belle [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, F/M, Post-War, Spoilers for everything, War, all the phases, graphic depictions of injury/death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 58,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28743885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuminantRambling/pseuds/RuminantRambling
Summary: Belle, sent from the future to change the past. Her mission is to blend in, find and defeat the Agarthans and save Vestra. The Black Eagles route.Belle can easily tell that Hubert is sizing them up, studying their every word, inflection, posture, and movement. She notes obvious tells of at least 4 weapons on his person and the distinct smell of dark magic surrounding him.It speaks. “My hope is that you will do well to contribute to the future of the Empire. Lady Edelgard deserves no less than complete and total devotion” Hubert scornfully spits, the words dripping with underlying threats.“Understood. I hope our teaching will meet your expectations.” Belle responds in a neutral tone, directly staring into his visible eye, the other blocked by his dark black hair.Hubert stands, clearing the table of dishes for himself and his liege. Belle follows his lead to leave their respective principals to speak among themselves.“Trust must be earned. I am certain we have the same understanding should anything untoward happen…” Belle leaves the sentence unfinished. There is nothing further to say as Hubert nods in response.
Relationships: Hubert von Vestra/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Belle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161149
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Arrival

She takes a deep breath; it is not like anything she has ever felt before. Her lungs did not burn or spasm to expel the poison. She simply breathes in the air around her, it feels clean, pure, and relaxing. The smells that fills her nostrils are foreign and amazing, all of them mixing and intertwining making her head spin with excitement. Not all of the smells are pleasant, however even the worst smells are beautiful. She looks above and the sky is a glorious blue. Blue! She has not seen that in her lifetime. It appears to become brighter the higher she looks, and the sun. Oh. Do not look at it directly, but it is so beautiful.

  
First, she needs to procure proper dress. As she emerges onto the street, she discovers several different stores that will be of use. The first stop should be to a jeweler to see if she could exchange some raw materials she has in trade for the currency of the area. Accomplishing this, she heads to different locations within the city. The dressmaker, tailor, shoemaker, ironmongers, weaponsmiths, etcetera in order to prepare herself for her journey. She makes her way to the southern outskirts of the large city, where the less important, no, the commoners would reside. Prices should be cheaper, accommodations providing the bare minimum of necessities. She rents a room for the night, changes into her newly purchased clothes, stashes her belongings and heads down the stairs. Finding a darker corner in the room that is not too far from the larger tables, she takes a seat.

Small groups enter the door of the inn. Some obviously are the local regulars to the dining area. Here for a meal and socializing before heading home. Then there are the travelers. Families heading from one place to another. Merchants with their goods. Farmers looking to sell their bounty. Others are here to find work. After a few hours, long after the sun has set, a group enters that piques her interest.

Four men and one woman, all wearing metal and leather armor, most of them with weapons visible, approach the front desk for a room before settling at a table not far from her. Eavesdropping on their conversation she found they are mercenaries, just the type of people she wants to meet.  
“Pardon my intrusion.” The woman stood next to the table of five. “I am interested in your type of work. May I join you to discuss the possibility of combining our interests and goals for the near future?”  
The bearded older male slams down his mug of ale and laughs. “Yer mom let ya out to play tonite? Go home kiddo.”  
“Come now Angus, everyone starts somewhere.” The leader of the group stands. “I am Errol, sit stranger, let us talk. “The man is tall and muscular, a sword at his hip, dagger belted to the other side. His armor is worn, certainly damaged by battles, however it is well maintained and in excellent shape. Cleanshaven, he has a bit of a baby-face. His hair is short, dark purple and wavy. He gestures to the woman seated at his right. “My sister, Esther.”  
“Well met.” The woman has the same color hair as her brother, however hers is longer, coming to her shoulders with a jeweled clip keeping it from falling into her eyes. Her robes are dark gray, the clothing underneath obscured from vision.  
“Lennox.” The tall thin man half stands, half bows with his intro. His light green hair is pulled into a knot at the back of his head  
“I’m Ned.” He grins at the woman. He is very muscular, his sleeveless shirt accentuates the muscles bulging on his arms. His long blonde hair in a ponytail held tight by a leather wrap.  
“It is true I have little experience in this area. I am pleased that you would at least give me a chance. My name is Belle. My preferred combat methods are hand to hand and sword. I do have some skill with bows, axes and lances.”  
“New kid buys the next round.” Angus announces, waggling his empty mug.  
Errol explains that they will begin in the morning to test her abilities and after a few jobs, they will determine if she fits within the group. Belle appreciates the opportunity and will meet them outside at dawn.

The next morning the sky is clear and blue as she sits waiting for the group to arrive. Just as the sun is peeking over the treetops, Errol and Esther emerge from the front door of the inn. Belle greets them with a pleasant smile. She is dressed in a black ¾ sleeved dress that hangs just past her knees. She wears dark brown leather gloves that go past her elbows. Leather boots on her feet with an appropriate heel for horseback riding. Her red hair is pulled back in a leather tie to a ponytail that hangs just past her shoulders. She has her swordbelt around her waist, steel sword and dagger in their sheaths.  
Errol explains the others may have had a bit too much ale last night and will be catching up later. He leads her to an area behind the blacksmiths that is used for training. Sawdust is scattered on the floor. Shelves of wooden weapons are on one side of the room. He grabs a wooden sword, tossing the other to Belle. He explains the rules of the spars. Disarm or touch is a point. First to five wins.  
The two begin the first round, circling each other. Belle waits. Errol leads on the offensive. She blocks the blow. He then is completely on the offensive, slashes, swings, thrusts, all which are blocked.  
“Attack any time.” Errol grunts.  
Belle shifts to a back-stance position, sliding forward then her rear foot comes around striking his sword hand disarming him as she punches at his face, stopping only to barely touch his cheek with her knuckles. “Point?”  
“Point. Take your position. “he grits his teeth and gives the signal to begin.  
She moves, striking with a slash as he easily blocks it, her second strike is blocked, however she continues, the third and fourth touch on his midsection.  
Esther giggles, then hides her face deeper into her hood.  
The next rounds end the same. Errol is relieved the others are not here to witness this. He was going easy on the kid. Yeah.  
He decides to see how she does on the training dummies in the area. They are made of sticks and have heads and bodies stuffed with straw. The three laggers of the group arrive and proceed to warm up.  
“Killing blow or sparring strikes?” she asks.  
“Give me 5 spars and a fatal.”  
She obliges him with 5 light touches and then a thrust that causes the sword to emerge through the other side of the “chest” of the dummy.  
Angus walks up to them. “Time to warm up. Grab an axe.”  
She spars with the bearded older man. His old age and treachery certainly gives a beating to her youth and enthusiasm as he demolishes her 5-3.  
Ned comes forward, time to face off with lances. Again Belle is defensive for the first ten strikes, then begins to counter the blonde’s attacks. Ned beats her 5-4, however they are hard fought wins.  
They confer between themselves and confirm that Belle has the basics down and take her on two (unpaid) jobs. She is accepted into the group and fights well, earning the respect of the party. She joins them and travels alongside them for a few weeks. The meanderings of the team brings them to the south. The redheaded woman is riding with Lennox and Errol, learning about horses and how not to fall off of them. The beasts are incredibly huge and intimidating. She has never seen a horse before, only in pictures. She tells her fellow mercenaries that in the past she lived in a large city and her family had never kept horses of their own. Sunny, her newly purchased steed, has a much quieter and less antagonistic personality than the rest of the horses in the group and for that she is immensely thankful.

They endure a particularly intense encounter with a large band of bandits in Charon. Esther is seriously wounded. They are successful and paid for the job, however the team is currently hindered in their travels. Errol would not leave until his sister is completely recovered from her injuries. They stay in the town of Benton for several weeks. Belle notices a large mercenary group that is passing through and with a bit of convincing, Belle is allowed to join them.  
Belle finds the differences in the personalities of the groups fascinating. While the previous band of mercenaries are incredibly competitive between themselves, this group has more cohesion, definitely more cooperation. They work amazingly well with each other, everyone backing the other up, helping the rest of the team in all areas of living, not only in battle. It is like a small village living on the road. Instead of focusing on the mistakes made by anyone in battle, the leader is supportive, teaching the fighters how to counter the attacks they fail to protect themselves against.  
It is with this mercenary group that she learns the most about fighting techniques and weapons in this country. After a few months she has greatly improved her sword, dagger, archery, and lance skills, not that they are bad to begin with. She feels that axes are too slow for her, however she does learn enough about them to survive a battle or three. Of course, her favorite weapon is the blade. She feels nearly naked without a sword in hand. New and fascinating sword techniques are quickly learned, mastered, and integrated into her repertoire of moves. She spars at every opportunity. The son of their leader, a tall young man who is close to her age is her favorite opponent. While others have so many tells and tics that give away their thoughts and actions miles before they swing a weapon, Byleth is always able to keep his emotions in check. They do not interact much beyond sparring or fighting alongside each other, which she feels is quite acceptable as she keeps to herself.

  
She becomes accustomed to the land, to many of the interactions between people and creatures that she has never been witness to before. Some things still elude her. The support between these mercenaries exist well beyond the basic necessities for survival. The need for celebrations, favors not borne from prior obligations, including excessive consumption of alcohol in the name of enjoyment, the meanings of these escape Belle. There is singing and dancing that serves no useful purpose. She does not participate in storytelling around the campfire, it brings nothing to further the survival of the group. She lives to fight. Everything she learns has a competitive or supportive role for their survival. She learns how to gather foods in the wild, preserve them, prepare them. Hunting wild animals, preparing them, making use of as much as they could. Selling the pelts for gold which buys new weapons, armor or maintenance items.

  
Throughout these past months she learns a vast number of things about being a mercenary. The leader appreciates her skills at disarming and her ability to subdue, capture or at least keep mostly alive some of the people they are hired to retrieve. If they have to kill bandits, murderers and the like, she is in the front lines with her blade constantly covered in blood. She is educated in moving quietly, watching for prey, noticing signs of movement through the woods, and what or who has been through the area. Gathering food from the woods and grasslands, identifying poisonous plants and mushrooms. Building tents and structures for camping while on the road.

Waking at sunrise the next morning, Belle quickly finishes her breakfast of eggs, bread and fruit provided at the inn the group has the luxury of staying at. She exits the door at the front of the inn to a disturbance. Several of her fellow mercenaries are heading out with swords drawn. As she catches up to them, she finds that some kids have been set upon by a group of bandits. Belle smiles anticipating a little morning exercise.  
Adrenaline pumping through her body, she runs straight to the center of the fray. Sword ever ready, her blade slashes into the closest bandit like an overripe piece of fruit, blood spraying from his fatal wound. Before the body falls to the ground her weapon is already impaling the next opponent. Too soon the battle is over. She has not yet broken a sweat.

  
A large man in shining armor is speaking to their leader. He doesn’t appear to be happy about the conversation. She approaches to stand behind his son. She is shocked to see that they are asked to accompany the knight back to where they are stationed. Belle is confused about the sudden change in her superior’s actions. Without an argument, the group is asked to either accompany him back to Garreg Mach or be free to form their own mercenary group without him. Belle does not hesitate and agrees to follow him to their new destination.

  
Alois is the large knight that has caused this disruption to their group. He comes off as a jolly man, happy to be reunited with Jeralt, her leader, as they were friends in the past. Alois keeps Jeralt on a short leash, not letting him leave his sight. When the group stops to take a rest to eat, Jeralt manages to pull Belle to the side.  
“Help keep watch over my son. Not everyone takes well to his…you know” he frowns.  
“I will protect him.” The redhead nods. “Those kids are falling all over each other to get a piece of him.” She nods towards him.  
Jeralt pats her back as he is called back to Alois’ side. “Keep him out of trouble.”

The remaining march to the monastery is uneventful. The huge collection of buildings surrounded by high walls appear ever closer in their vision. Before long they enter the front gates. There the group disburses, the mercenaries that follow Jeralt go with the knights, the three rescued students head to their rooms and Jeralt, Byleth and Belle are led to the Archbishop to discuss what would happen next.  
Standing before them is a tall woman with a soft smile and long green hair introduced as Lady Rhea. She is decorated with a large gold headpiece with tassels, intricate designs woven in gold and silver threads adorn her clothing. A calm and serene look is on her face as she welcomes Jeralt upon his return. The man standing next to her, Seteth, scowls at the group before him. His arms crossed over his chest as if to shield himself from them. He is obviously suspicious of the intentions of the three of us.  
The audience with the church leaders is brief. It is not a discussion, more like ordering the group what they are now going to be doing. Jeralt will once again lead the Knights of Seiros as their Captain. Byleth his son, having shown his fighting ability in front of the students and knights would be accepted as a teacher at their learning academy. Belle would be assisting him with teaching as well as leading classes on weapons use during combat.  
Byleth and Belle leave for the classrooms in order to meet with the students of the three different houses currently enrolled in classes. Byleth is dispassionate as always, his face an unreadable mask of neutrality. Belle, not far behind, her resting face is held in a slight frown as if she has just eaten something unpleasant.

  
Claude greets them with open arms, giving the impression of overly welcoming and certainly having other motives behind his request for them to teach the Golden Deer. The students themselves are chaotic, not a cohesive group and it would take much work to form them into anything that could work well together as a team. Dimitri is overwhelming in his politeness and protocol. Being the crown prince of Faerghus would dictate that is how is actions are to be. The group is certainly calmer than the first and quite friendly amongst themselves, many of them having been friends for years. Edelgard stands with a tall dark man as her shadow. She commends Byleth on his knowledge and skill, thanking him again for saving the lives of her and her fellow students. She introduces Hubert Von Vestra, who has served her for years. His piercing citron eyes seem to pierce Byleth with how sharply the student glares at him. The remaining students are in the classroom talking amongst themselves, except for one by who is sleeping on a large pile of books.  
“It is my hope that you only have the best interests of Lady Edelgard in mind, lest I should have to cut you down.” Hubert’s deep voice threatens.  
“Noted.” Belle nods as she moves to stand beside the future Professor. Byleth offers no response.  
Once all introductions are completed, the two return to the audience chamber where Lady Rhea, Seteth, Manuela and Hanneman await the new Professor’s decision.  
“I will lead the Black Eagles.” Byleth announces.  
“Great.” Manuela smiles. “I choose the Blue Lions. That means you will have the Golden Deer, Hanneman. Perhaps that rowdy bunch can keep you awake, eh?”  
“Really Manuela!” Hanneman complains. “I can see they are too noisy for you, especially since you show up hungover all of the time!”  
“Enough of this.” Seteth is vexed at the behavior of his staff. “Byleth, Belle, please accompany me to my office as you will be there quite frequently. I will provide you with the expectations of your work with the students and the Rules and Regulations.”  
After several hours of Seteth going over the procedures for class, rules on conduct of the staff, expectations related to student progress and who knows what other boring and unnecessary information they have to endure, the pair are finally released with huge stacks of paper for review and preparation for classes which will begin in two days.

In her room, Belle sorts the paperwork into appropriate stacks. Rules and Regulations, a ridiculously high pile of papers. Syllabus and expectations for student learning. Other stacks of relatively worthless information. She creates several outlines for training classes, divided into each weapon as well as hand to hand combat. The afternoon passes quickly as the bell for dinner sounds. Leaving her room, which is next to Byleth’s in the student dorms, Byleth emerges at the same time. Without speaking they both head toward the dining area, grab plates of food and sit with the Black Eagles.  
The group is chatting amicably over dinner. Edelgard sits across from Byleth, with Hubert to her right. Bell is seated to the left of Byleth. Edelgard is excitedly welcoming them to the group, providing her own spin on each of the students as she properly introduces them and their fighting specialty. Hubert speaks little, Belle even less.

  
Belle can easily tell that Hubert is sizing them up, studying their every word, inflection, posture, and movement. She notes obvious tells of at least 4 weapons on his person and the distinct smell of dark magic surrounding him.  
It speaks. “My hope is that you will do well to contribute to the future of the Empire. Lady Edelgard deserves no less than complete and total devotion” Hubert scornfully spits, the words dripping with underlying threats.  
“Understood. I hope our teaching will meet your expectations.” Belle responds in a neutral tone, directly staring into his visible eye, the other blocked by his dark black hair.  
Hubert stands, clearing the table of dishes for himself and his liege. Belle follows his lead to leave their respective principals to speak among themselves.  
“Trust must be earned. I am certain we have the same understanding should anything untoward happen…” Belle leaves the sentence unfinished. There is nothing further to say as Hubert nods in response.  
The two separate. She walks to the front of the monastery to order some specialized equipment and various supplies that are not provided by the monastery. The redhead greets the gatekeeper, kindly smiling at him as he presents his daily report. Making pleasant conversation with him, he is happy to share more things that he has seen as his day goes on.

She arrives at the monastery’s maintenance room to inventory the tools and machinery available for use. They do not complete their own smithing here, apparently leaving all of the metal work to the blacksmith outside. Satisfied, she heads to the library to review the content. Settling on a table out of direct sight she pulls several books at a time reading through the history of each ruling country of the continent. Shortly after 2 am she is joined by another presence.  
“Hubert, are you aware there is a curfew for students?” Belle asks quietly.  
“I would ask you the same question.” He scoffs.  
“As an aide to Professor Byleth, I am considered part of the staff, therefore exempt.” She closes her book at the remark. She stands and re-shelves the book regarding the Adrestian Empire.  
“Not everything in history is written in books.” He snaps, approaching the red-headed woman closer.  
“It is only a recounting by the author. As always many of the finer details are discarded or omitted in order to maintain their own view of what has transpired. Would you care to fill in regarding the complete particulars?” She asks as he stands not three feet in front of her.  
“Perhaps, should you ever earn my trust.” He looks away, watching the doorway.  
“That is for another day.” She stands and returns the other books from the table to their proper shelves. “For now, I bid you a good evening.”  
She moves past him faster than he expects, his hand empty as he reaches to grasp her arm and restrain her. He glances to the doorway and notes she is already gone.

She should be exhausted. Lying in her bed, eyes closed. Sleep eludes her as her feverish mind races. The more that she relaxes in relative safety, the more her mind wanders to dangerous and negative locations. Currently she has fallen into the rabbit hole of her life before arriving in Fodlan. She was born an imperfect being in a more imperfect world. The generator of her existence entered the hospital to relieve herself of her inconvenience. The conception of the annoyance was in less than ideal circumstances, the host having been exposed to various toxic and poisonous substances that were bountiful after the end of the war. The parasite was to be removed and disposed.  
The surgeon was a believer in the ancient rule of medicine “to do no harm.” Few doctors at this time would not hesitate to cull the weak and infirm from those that remain. Doctor A. was not of that mindset. This was not a spawn, a mass of cells to be discarded. It was a child. Against so many odds, the small girl survived the birth. He immediately left and brought her to his residence. He and his staff would give her the life she deserves.  
When she was young the prosthetics were basic but serviceable. Mechanical arms and legs were attached to the stumps of the partially formed limbs. She underwent multiple surgeries to correct her defects. Her cleft palate was built into a beautiful smile. An implant in her left ear to provide hearing. Corrections to her voice box and larynx to provide her with the ability to speak. Her right eye replaced with one that could provide vision. Implants to strengthen or replace the bones she has.

  
He hired tutors for all his children. They were extremely well educated and grew to be great people, some even became leaders in the community. However Belle was special. She was his warrior. He would call her his battle maiden. She was highly interested in fighting for and defending her family. She had to be a fighter to survive everything she had gone through so far. When she turned 16 he revealed his secret dreams to her and she leaped at the opportunity to assist him. Further surgeries were performed to help her survive. When she turned 19 she was fitted with final prosthetics and surgeries that made her look completely human, except for the coloring. Her arms and legs were an ashen gray. Those that were mechanically enhanced were required to be branded with the color, distinguishing them from pure beings. Imperfectly perfect is what he called her. It took another year to get accustomed to her complete body, how to make repairs for herself, finalize her training, and preparations for the future. The future that lies in the past.  
Magic was unheard of in their time, a fairy tale. History of prior ages had been destroyed by fanatical groups and narrow-minded dictators. The last war had left the skies a permanent gray, the only difference between night and day was the brightness in the sky. The rains are filled with acids and poisons. The Doctor had connections. His children from over the years grew into his network of knowledge. This knowledge provided hidden artifacts proving magic is real. He knew he could do nothing about the present, however if he could possibly change the past, they may all have a different and better future.  
She is provided all the limited knowledge he could obtain about her destination. Two key items are her focus. Do not trust the ancient ones. Keep Vestra alive. That was the last thing she heard her father speak as she felt her body and soul shredded into tiny pieces and reassemble for her to awaken in a different time and place.


	2. Lessons and Battles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Byleth and Bell begin teaching in earnest. Learning about the students, making friends, even going to a ball
> 
> “Felix, please assist us with the next demonstration.” She calls over the prickly boy. She is several inches taller than him. “If your opponent is taller than you, you can do the opposite, coming from under to grab your sword from the top and pulling, twisting”  
> Felix instead of holding still whips his sword back.  
> “Everyone take a seat.” Professor Belle directs the class. “Not you, Felix. Let us demonstrate a few disarming moves.”  
> They begin to trade blows as she discusses what is happening at the same time.  
> “Felix thrusts, I parry and step back, he strikes, parry, back, Strikes, disarm. As you can see, as I kept moving back he has to either follow or reach further until his arms are extended causing him to throw off his center of gravity so I could disarm him”  
> The indigo haired swordsman is not pleased.

Professor Byleth stands at the front of the class discussing the proper use of battalions during battle. Most of the students are attentive and properly taking notes. Linhardt being the exception. Belle swears that he still listens while he sleeps as the boy passes his exams. Edelgard is perpetually attentive and scribing copious notes, hanging on her teacher’s every word. While everyone else calls Byleth “Professor”, she has taken to calling him “my teacher”. It is as if he is teaching for her benefit alone.

  
Belle, the Teacher’s Aide, is normally referred to by her name. Unless the student is Hubert, who refers to her as ‘You.’ She is not certain as to when she acquired his disrespect to be reduced to a pronoun instead of a name. Perhaps it is because when she takes her role as Professor during weapons training, she tolerates no vexation from the students. He will happily smirk when Ferdinand is corrected for his stance or weapon handling, however he takes it personally should she make corrections to anything regarding his Lady Edelgard. Edelgard welcomes the assistance and thankfully calls him off. Byleth occasionally watches the training classes, commenting on the improvements the students have made already. Hubert is quick to advise that Lady Edelgard’s improvements are strictly from her continued training and nothing to do with the weapon instructor’s obviously insufficient efforts.  
Edelgard is currently striking fiercely at a training dummy. Belle requests that she pause for a moment.  
“May I, Lady Edelgard?” Belle requests permission to touch the white-haired woman’s small hands.  
“Certainly, Professor” she responds.

  
Belle readjusts the grip and distance between her hands. She moves Edelgard’s hands slowly through a strike. “You’ll want to watch the angle of your strike to keep it clean and cleave into the target at the proper trajectory.”  
Edelgard takes a few strikes. “I can feel it. Much appreciated.”  
Hubert knows better than to make a sound, but that does not prevent the disparaging scowl on his face as watches. As Edelgard finishes her practice, Hubert carries her belongings. Before he exits through the door he whispers, “You.” Gesturing from his eyes towards Belle. She doesn’t give it another thought.

The Black Eagles are sent on a mission to clear out bandits located between two towns that the brigands have been terrorizing. The students gather at the front gate of the monastery. Byleth is checking the pack horses loaded with food and the heavier and bulkier objects such as tents and cookware. Belle is reading down the checklist for items students are to carry on their persons for the overnight trip.  
“Gah! I gotta go back, I forgot something! I’ll be quick.” Caspar yells as he heads back towards the dorms.  
Linhardt facepalms. “I bet he forgot clean underwear.”

  
The group marches towards their destination. They stop late in the afternoon and set up camp. They are far enough away to not be noticed by the bandits, however they will have guards watching throughout the night just in case.  
Belle prepares kindling and wood, stacking it properly for a fire to begin cooking dinner.  
“Hubert, could you please start the fire?” she requests, a small fire spell would be handy.  
The student gives a disgusted “Hrumpf” and proceeds to set up Lady Edelgard’s tent, ignoring the request.  
A few minutes later a fire is initiated, and the pot of water is hanging over it to in preparing for dinner.  
“You. I thought you required assistance?” Hubert asked.  
“If you rub sticks together long enough a fire will occur.” She responds flatly.

  
With the assistance of Bernadetta dinner is cooked and the taste is quite satisfactory. Upon completion of her duty, the shy girl fills her bowl and retreats to her tent. Belle speaks with the girl upon rare occasions, however now being in unfamiliar territory there will be very few interactions.  
Watches are set for the night. Belle is scheduled for second watch with Caspar. They will awaken Byleth and Hubert for third watch. Belle is a light sleeper so a slight movement of the front of her tent is enough to have her head outside. Ferdinand yawns as he heads to his tent. As she approaches the fire, she is surprised to see Hubert there, wide awake and warming his hands.  
“What happened to Caspar?” she whispers.  
“He is too loud and doesn’t do well should his sleep be disturbed. I will be fine.” the dark-haired mage murmurs, not looking up from the flames.  
The redheaded woman patrols around the perimeter of the camping area. She wants to stretch her legs, fully awaken, and avoid speaking with Hubert as it is too taxing. Watching the woods to one side she can make out a few night creatures curious about the visitors to their home. She completes two full circuits around the tents before returning to the campfire to enjoy its warmth. Hubert swats at a few moths attracted by the light of the flames. She turns around to warm her backside then heads out for another perimeter check. She is halfway around the campsite when she spies a figure in the woods. She waves to Hubert. There is no response. She picks up a small rock and pelts him on the head. She hears him curse from where she stands, however she does have his attention and he moves closer.

  
“I see someone in the woods about 600 feet away.” Belle whispers.  
“The woods are about 500 feet away, how can you see someone that far into them?” he questions.  
“Stay put.” She orders. She pulls her bow from her shoulder and checks her quiver.  
“Really.” he grumbles. He remains in position and watches carefully for any signs of movement.  
Hunching down she moves quietly through the grass and low brush. When she is halfway to the woods she pulls a black knit cap over her face and hair, blending in with the darkness. The ground is uneven with ruts from water runoff on the hill they are camping upon. She flattens herself on the ground as again she spies movement in the woods. The figure is heading towards them, now much closer to edge of the woods. She can only see one person approaching. Once he is close enough that she can make out his appearance is that of a bandit she looses an arrow upon him. He grasps at his throat and goes down. She moves forward cautiously checking again for any further parties approach. She pulls the body to halfway between the woods and the camp and leaves it there. She returns to camp to find a pacing Hubert.  
“One less to deal with tomorrow.” She walks past the center of camp to make another sweep around the perimeter.

  
After standing guard for a few more hours she finally approaches Byleth’s tent.  
“Reporting sir” she whispers, waiting at the front of the tent.  
“Come” Byleth’s voice is thick and rough from sleeping, he clears his throat as she enters.  
“Hubert has been up since second watch. Found a thief spying on us. They’ll know someone is here because he won’t make it back. It’s approximately 1 hour before sunrise.” She crawls into the bedding vacated by Byleth, not wanting to waste a perfectly warm bed.  
She later wakes to the sounds of a few students mulling about the camp beginning to break down their tents. Hers is already down and stowed, so she breaks down Byleth’s and packs his equipment on one of the horses. Soon everyone is roused and ready to move forward within an hour.  
Professor Byleth leads them to their destination. They tie the horses to a tree and leave any extra equipment with them. Everyone is armed and ready for battle. Byleth leads the attack formation with Edelgard and Hubert to his right, Caspar and Ferdinand to his left. The rest are secondary units attacking or healing from the rear.

  
Belle gives a sharp whistle that Byleth turns to see 4 fingers up. He directs those with long range weapons to watch for enemies in the trees. Belle then fires arrows to the left and right, the first shot successfully causing an enemy to fall from a tree. The Black Eagles go on the offensive, running towards the enemy. Hubert and Dorothea cast spells at the trees they can see contain archers. Caspar yells as he punches a bandit that is readying his sword. Edelgard blocks with her axe and takes an enemy down. They press forward. Belle blocks a knife thrown at Edelgard’s back then guts the attacker. Hubert checks for any other enemies nearby. The group moves forward through the brush and grasses, Belle’s archer’s eyes are everywhere.  
Finally, the compound belonging to the thieves is within view. Hubert and Dorothea send deathly magic to the far side of the building to catch anyone using it to block direct strikes. They split into two teams to circle the building. Belle follows Hubert and Edelgard with Linhardt trailing behind. Hubert and Edelgard come around the corner, a spell leaving his hands as Edelgard swings finishing off the enemy. Byleth is at the opposite end as they meet at the door. Caspar and Byleth smash the door in and enter followed by Bernadetta and Ferdinand. The central room is empty, objects turned over and in general disarray.  
Byleth heads to the door to the left which is locked from the inside. Edelgard opens the other door while standing to the side and an arrow shoots into the room. Belle grabs it before it strikes the back of Caspar and the Professor smashing in the second door. Hubert blasts into the room with another mire spell as screams are heard coming from the space within. The door on the far wall opens and a Sagittae spell is cast striking Edelgard and Hubert with multiple magic arrows. Belle fires three arrows into the open door hoping to strike the source. Hubert bursts into the doorway casting Miasma at his target. Linhardt is healing Edelgard as Belle moves inside, pausing to listen at the door leading towards the center of the compound she opens the door a crack sticking an arrow, fletching first, which is responded to by a loud, “Clear” call from Byleth.

  
Opening the door, they regroup. There are three females that were prisoners of the thieves. As they head to the front door they find Belle outside, watching for any stragglers or approach to the compound. There is a stable with four horses. Ferdinand reminds the team it is his noble duty to save the captive women and remove the vagabonds that were tormenting the villagers. Caspar responds with a resounding yell that makes Bernadetta cower and Linhardt complain of his headache and exhaustion. The group is able to return the women to their villages then gather their things and head back towards Garreg Mach.

  
Professor Byleth is extremely pleased with the Black Eagles performance during the battle. The injuries are minor and easily healed by Linhardt who did well considering the amount of blood that spilled. Soon the students and Professor stop to make camp for the night. If they leave not long after dawn the next day they would make it back to the Academy before lunch is over.

The Black Eagles return in excellent spirits after a well fought battle. Edelgard invites Professor Byleth to join her for tea to celebrate. Bernie makes a beeline for her room screaming as she shuts the door. Belle makes sure to grab a plate of food for her for lunch as well as some cake. She leaves it at the door announcing that she is leaving. A soft thank you could be heard as the redhead turns to go back to the dining hall. Once she has eaten, she circles around the back door of the kitchens where she finds Cyril preparing dishes for washing. Seeing her approach, he switches to washing dishes as she cleans off the plates into a can that goes to the greenhouse for composting. In exchange for a bit of help in the kitchen she is usually rewarded with a bit of gossip about the other houses or activities around the monastery. She learns that Ignatz had been hit by an arrow on their mission and had to be in the infirmary overnight. Sylvain had been struck by a mounted opponent as he was trying to assist Felix who again had himself surrounded by too many foes and left a trail of blood through half of the monastery for Cyril to clean up. Annette caused a mess in the kitchen trying to use magic to assist with baking a cake. Finishing emptying the plates, she invites Cyril for Archery practice any time he can break away from cleaning. She carries food the scraps to the compost heap. Belle pulls out special bowl she collects meat scraps in from the food discards. She heads out to the front by the market, greeting the Gatekeeper who gives a broad smile. She quickly scurries around the corner and stops just before coming to the stables. She stops because there are quite a few cats laying about warming themselves in the afternoon sun. Belle frequents the area as much as she can. The cats are delightfully meowing and rubbing against her legs. They parade around purring loudly as she begins to toss the meat scraps to them. A few other cats run up from behind barrels and boxes to come beg for the special treats. She runs out of food about the same time as the furry friends are full. She then sits with her back against the wall. The fluffy felines crawl all over her rubbing against her legs and stomach, a few sit on her legs purring happily. Playing with the cats is one of her few secret pleasures. They are so warm and soft. She wishes she could take a few back to her room with her, however Seteth’s Monastery Rule Book, page 32, Chapter IV. Rules regarding occupancy of monastery owned residences, section 3. Animals, subpart A. Stating no live animals are allowed to cohabitate with any of the students or staff of the monastery. She wonders what happened in order to have added subpart C. stating that no life sized replicas of any farm animals will be tolerated or allowed to cohabitate anywhere on monastery grounds.

Belle sits atop the roof of the Black Eagles classroom. She’s been watching Hubert walk a ruddy path just outside the classroom. Finally his spy has arrived and she listens in on their discussion. She has been watching him meet with spies quite frequently. This one informs him about the health and wellbeing of Edelgard’s father, Ionious. Evidently, the man has been ill for quite some time and they feel he may only survive six to eight more months. Report ended, Belle heads to the peak of the roof, stepping between the tiles. She then runs across the top of the peak until she reaches the far end and can scale down the wall closest to the student dorms. Fortunately, if Hubert warps to his or Edelgard’s room, the windows are on the other side of the building.

Belle and Byleth try to meet every evening before they sleep. A series of taps on the wall they share is all that is needed to call the other over to discuss the happenings of the day. They are the best of friends. Belle has never thought of him as being stone faced or distant. She has known him long enough to recognize his reactions and emotions. She can tell he is very excited about teaching and relaxing more now that he has some classes under his belt. He knows about her prosthetics, and that she’s not from here and not from now. When she had told him, she understood that he was shocked by the light lift of his left eyebrow. He is given instructions as to what to do should she die. He is instructed to build the biggest funeral pyre in all of the continent for her. He tells her of the girl in his head. It did take him a few days and strange looks from her to admit it. He is still getting used to it. When they meet in his room, he would point out where she is standing and what she is saying. It didn’t help that the invisible girl really didn’t know who she was. For both of them having seen very unbelievable things, it is fairly easy to believe the other.

The sun is warmly shining bringing some warmth to an otherwise chilly day. The wind is blocked in the tea garden making it quite comfortable for the two friends to enjoy their break time.  
“So how do you like being a Professor?” Belle asks of her fellow former mercenary.  
“I quite enjoy it.” Byleth muses. “I’ve always liked sharing my knowledge with others. Teaching math is rather difficult I suppose. I often have to ask the other Professors for assistance. Seteth provides the best information, however he always has to work in some complaints about the students.”  
“It wouldn’t be Seteth if there were no complaints.” Belle chuckles.  
Byleth looks at the redhead across from him with his usual blank face, then the end of his lips curl ever so slightly. “I have not heard you laugh before.” The smile growing a bit larger on his face.  
“Nor have I truly seen you smile. We must be getting accustomed to this place. It is nice to interact with the students so frequently. I think they are rubbing off on us.” She ruminates.  
“We never had the time to stay in one place for this length of time. Although we are just as busy as we have always been, it is a different type of busy. When interacting with the other mercenaries it is still all about business and survival. We have not seen much of the other types of personal interactions between people to understand them better.” He testifies.

  
“I have observed things that I felt were simply a waste of time in the past are in fact useful or simply provide enjoyment. Hobbies are an example. Since working with Bernadetta in trying to gain her confidence, I have taken up learning needlework. I gain a great deal of satisfaction completing a piece.” Belle takes a sip of her coffee. She is really enjoying the brief respite from teaching and training.  
“How are you getting along with all of the students? Certainly you have more interactions with the other houses due to your position.” Byleth adds a bit more sugar to his coffee. “Is there anyone whose talents stand out?”  
She takes another sip of coffee in order to gather her thoughts. “In the Golden Deer the greatest one to fear would be Lysithia and her magic. She is a powerful mage for her age. I understand why they allow her to attend being as young as she is. Claude is formidable with a bow, however he does not practice as much as he should. Hilda has amazing strength hiding behind her fake weariness. I may set her up for Sky watch to become a Wyvern Lord. The rest are coming along well.“  
Byleth nods and warms up their coffee.  
“Blue Lions, well who cannot notice the strength of Dimitri or the wall that is Dedue? Felix’ sword work is the best of anyone, however he does tend to get in a bit over his head during battles. Fortunately, Sylvain is always hovering nearby to provide him backup. Annette’s magical talents are second to Lysithia, still very intimidating.” She adds a touch more cream to her drink. “You know the Black Eagles. Edelgard and Hubert are a force that cannot be stopped. Petra with her combined Fodlan and Bridgid fighting styles can take down enemies with lightning speed. Of course, I don’t want to leave out the healers. Linhardt has the most talent of the three, however convincing him to apply himself is another story. He does come through in a pinch though.”  
Byleth nods. “I agree with your assessments. I would like to see the others in true battle situations. It is fortunate that you can accompany all three houses during battles in order to really see their performance.”  
“Absolutely. Although training can provide them with the skills to battle, only observing them in true battle situations allows me to perceive their shortcomings and work with them to improve.” Belle nods. “Do you enjoy the fishing here?”  
“I do. I wish you would join me some time. It is relaxing.” He says wistfully.  
Holding her hand up quickly and shaking her head, Belle groans. “You know water and I don’t mix. I hardly tolerate being out in the rain.”  
“I remember that one time…” Byleth muses.  
“Don’t! Just don’t!” she pleads.

Belle moves amongst the students training in the training grounds. She is happy that Claude finally graces them with his presence, and she is even happier to challenge him as he has been getting into some bad habits about his stance and maintenance. They move away from the building for her to demonstrate the technique she wishes him to acquire.  
“Backflip shot, with accuracy” She orders.  
Claude flexes on the balls of his feet. Completes a backflip, shooting his arrow while upside-down. The arrow hits the target close to center, not quite a bulls-eye.  
“Nice” Belle comments. But what about a double spin, two shots?”  
“Hmmm. Have to work on that, can you give me an example?” Claude winks at Professor Belle.  
“Really? I would not ask any student to complete a shot I cannot complete myself.” She grabs two arrows. Springs into the air, her body stretched out as she is spinning upside down, one arrow shot, she continues her spin, the second arrow is loosed. Both at the center of the target one next to the other. She grabs two more arrows, forward flips, spinning upside down and completes the two shots resting close to the original two arrows.  
“Yeah. Not today Professor.” Claude grins. “Just remembered some homework I have to catch up on.” Claude books it out of the range.  
She nods. I bet he’s close to having it down in two weeks. He never turns down a challenge, she thinks to herself.

The Blue Lions have returned from a mission dealing with the Eastern Church. They were rebelling against this, the central church, and Rhea had felt necessary to quash their efforts. During the fight, Lord Lonato is killed and notice of a planned attempt on the Archbishop’s life was found on his corpse. The monastery is on high alert. Rhea has the knights and students investigating the situation. The Black Eagles determine that this is a ruse to divert attention from the true crime, the robbing of the Holy Mausoleum. There is a holy ceremony to be held in the Cathedral, therefore the Black Eagles head to the mausoleum only to find a macabre looking knight, with a mask in the visage of a skull is at the center of the room. It is unnerving to move past him, however he did not attack anyone, and none in the group wish to gain his attention. At the end of the battle Byleth defeats the leader of the invaders, a masked mage and wrestles with him over the item found in the bottom of the casket that was broken into, the Sword of the Creator. Byleth gains control of the weapon and slays the intruder. It is a frightening weapon, white like the color of dried bones, and a red glow surrounds the weapon at Byleth’s touch.  
Soon after acquisition of the sword, Byleth and Belle ride out before dawn to work with the new weapon. They check frequently to verify they are not followed. They find a clearing deep in the woods to spar using the glowing sword. The weapons instructor has brought multiple weapons and works with the Professor to improve his skills with this strange sword. Byleth is able to extend the whip-like segments by flicking his wrist, giving him much greater range. He whips it around trees, able to pull smaller ones from the ground as well as striking multiple targets as the point smashes through branches. They practice disarming Belle and after a few hours feel that his control of the new weapon is well on its way.  
They also briefly experiment with the weapon. When Byleth places it on the ground and lets go, the glowing stops. Belle picks up the sword, but it takes a great deal of effort as it is very heavy and feels very imbalanced. It does not glow unless Byleth is touching it. There must be some enchantment that allows the male to wield the weapon with ease as if it weighs no more than any other sword. Curiosity satisfied for now, they return to the monastery.

“Let us continue working on sword disarming techniques” Belle is demonstrating with Petra, Felix, Dorothea, Leonie, Ingrid, Dimitri, Ashe and Ignatz. She is dressed in long sleeves and pants with long gloves sticking out past her gauntlets that are just past her elbows. She also has armor on her shins and knees, nearly completely outfitted for battle. “You are all here because some of your qualifications for future testing requires a certain amount of sword skill. Should you lose your primary weapon, it is in your best interest to be able to pick up another from the field and continue to fight and defend yourself.”  
Dorothea is called to the front of the class to assist with demonstration.  
“First I will strike, then she parries. Note that swords are crossed. Safety tip, have heavy gloves on or gauntlets for this. Grab the opponent’s sword over the crossing of them, pushing forward with my hand on the hilt of mine striking her hand as I pull her sword over mine breaking her grip.”  
“Amateur stuff” mumbles Felix.  
“Dorothea, now make a high strike. I make a horizontal counter. As I am holding my sword for the counter, my free hand may be able to reach the hilt of her sword grabbing and twisting it from her hands. Because she has put so much force into the swing, she is not gripping as tight as she can and her sword is now mine.”  
“Why am I here?” Felix complains and rolls his eyes.

  
Belle calls Dimitri over for the next technique. “Taller fighters make use of their height. Countering an attack, they can quickly lead the sword over the opponent’s hands, threading through, grab the farther end of your sword at the bottom pull back and twist to disarm.”  
“Felix, please assist us with the next demonstration.” She calls over the prickly boy. She is several inches taller than him. “If your opponent is taller than you, you can do the opposite, coming from under to grab your sword from the top and pulling, twisting”  
Felix instead of holding still whips his sword back.

  
“Everyone take a seat.” Professor Belle directs the class. “Not you, Felix. Let us demonstrate a few disarming moves.”  
They begin to trade blows as she discusses what is happening at the same time.  
“Felix thrusts, I parry and step back, he strikes, parry, back, Strikes, disarm. As you can see, as I kept moving back he has to either follow or reach further until his arms are extended causing him to throw off his center of gravity so I could disarm him”  
The indigo haired swordsman is not pleased.  
“Again” she orders.  
Felix is pissed. He comes at her with a vengeance, striking a heavy flurry of blows that she counters. Until he can’t, because she’s disarmed him again.  
“Tch. This is stupid.” He says.  
“Fine. Disarm me, then we will slowly walk through your technique.” Belle says blankly, imitating the face of Professor Byleth.  
“She’s good.” Ashe whispers.

  
The two face off, nod and in a flash he is in her face, swinging and countering her attacks. He tries several different methods of disarming from twisting her sword, to striking her fingers directly. He strikes from below hitting the hilt at the bottom of her hand and still she keeps her grip on the sword. Felix is getting flustered. He strikes heavily leading her sword to his right, grabs her arm and flips her over his hip. As she falls he gains control of her sword. He gives a strange look as she lands.  
Quickly jumping up from the floor she dusts herself off and holds her hand out for him to toss her sword back. “Excellent work.” She commends him. “He completed at least 8 attempts to disarm me. As you can see, it is not easy, however the longer a battle goes, the more your chances increase.”  
Turning back to the class she has them pair up to work on the techniques demonstrated. She flits from pair to pair of students. Dimitri is worked through the group as he is the tallest and allows all to work on the height difference technique.  
“I find it hard to imagine anyone would be much taller than you on the battlefield, Dimitri.” Belle smiles as she watches him with Ashe.  
“True, however I have learned some pointers as to how my opponents can approach to disarm me so this is surely beneficial.” The prince nods.  
“I recommend that you work up to sparring at least for one hour per day if possible.” The Professor advises the students, “Don’t forget to keep hydrated. The goal is to increase your upper arm strength, shoulders, upper back muscles and the like. Felix is our example, he can spar for almost an hour before breaking a sweat.”

  
“How long before you break a sweat Professor?” Ignatz asks.  
“I don’t sweat.” She replies. “Ladies perspire.” Ingrid snorts. Dorothea gives a small chuckle.  
She dismisses the class and Dimitri hangs behind the group. “If you do not mind my asking, I would like to spar with you and try some of these techniques with you directly if you would have the time.”  
“I have about 30 minutes now if you would like to work on your swordsmanship.” She replies.  
They spar for a few minutes. She notices that he will not make the first attack and that his swings are quite weak. “Dimitri. I am the Professor for this training, yes?”  
“Of course, Professor.” He happily replies.  
“Then you must practice like you are in the midst of a battle. Attack like you would spar with Dedue or Professor Byleth.” She demands. “I am not a kitchen maid with a knife. I am an experienced mercenary with a sword. Fight me as you would a bandit coming for your blood.”  
They spar again, his strikes are firmer. She strikes back harder, encouraging him to increase the force in his attacks. “Better, come on, I’ll not be knocked over by the breeze from your misses.” She snips.

  
They continue to exchange blows. He counters and misses her sword, striking her left forearm with enough force to dent the gauntlet. He pauses long enough for her to disarm him.  
“Why did you stop?” Belle asks.  
“I accidentally hit your arm pretty forcefully. I am known to not have full control of my strength.” Dimitri says worriedly.  
“I have a high tolerance for pain. Probably have a bruise tomorrow. The gauntlet took most of the blow. We have a few more minutes. Again!” she demands.  
The sparring continues for a few more minutes as he attempts to disarm her several times. Suddenly there is a loud crack and her sword breaks with her still holding the handle. They both laugh.  
“I guess that means I am done for the day. Thank you, I think you did very well today.” Belle nods.  
“No, thank you Professor for giving me a bit of your time.” Dimitri turns quickly has his cheeks dust pink.  
As they leave the training grounds, she notices that a rock prevents the door from closing completely. She kicks it to the side.

The Blue Lions are heading for Conand tower within their territory. Miklan, Sylvain’s brother had stolen the family relic and is traced back to the disused building that is their destination. As if to reflect Sylvain’s sad and downcast mood, the skies have opened, unleashing a torrential downpour upon them as they trudge through the muck and mud. At the first sign of rain, Belle hacks at several young trees until she could fashion a walking tent to shelter herself, not quite succeeding to keep the rain from soaking her through. She jumps at every lightning flash thinking about how she is a walking lightning rod and she will be burnt to a crisp. As the front of the group approaches the door they hesitate. Belle pushes through the students, grabs the door and pulls the door so hard it breaks one of the hinges as she dashes inside. Her sword drawn she would kill anything in front of her, just so she could have safe haven from the rain. Ashe laughs as she violently shakes herself like a dog trying to rid herself of the last of the water droplets clinging to her. Manuela assigns marching orders, who is to lead, those in the center and cranky fighters to the back pointing at Gilbert and Belle.

  
The Blue Lions fight as an amazing team. The lance users form a wall that will not allow any damage to transpire to Annette, Mercedes and Ashe who dish out damage from a distance. Belle has a further range than Ashe, so she assists by taking out bandits who are shooting down from a higher position in the tower. Gilbert announces enemies are approaching from the rear, Belle signals for the rest to keep moving forward, she and Gilbert can take them down. The battle circles around until the reach the highest point where Miklan is waiting. Sylvain attempts to talk sense to him, however his ill-fated crestless brother is beyond help. Miklan battles using the Lance of Ruin, the holy relic held by the Gautier family. He fights normally for a while, then the crest stone glows and a mysterious miasma like substance starts issuing from the lance. It increases tenfold until Miklan and the lance are completely ensconced. The unfortunate brother is screaming in torturous pain that echoes eerily in the huge hollow tower. Suddenly the smoke disappears leaving a hideous beast where he had stood. The beast is taller than 6 or 7 men, with sharp teeth and frightening claws. It stands on its rear feet and roars shaking the entire tower. The beast reaches out and grabs a thief, tearing into its flesh and then smashing the body against the wall with a wild howl. The Professor directs the students to attack. Miklan the beast slashes with giant razor sharp claws at Sylvain and Felix, then crashes down with one of its clawed feet nearly crushing Annette under its hulking weight. They work together trying to cast spells and strike in the same area, breaking through the monster’s tough skin until they can create an opening. When one student falls or is struck, the others are there to pull them out of the unholy beast’s grasp. Mercedes and Manuela are extremely busy casting healing spells working hard to keep the team alive. Sylvain strikes the final blow against the monster, who crumbles into debris and ash. On the ground where the monster stood is the broken body of Miklan and the Lance. They retrieve the relic and leave the desolate building. Everyone is quiet as the return to the monastery. There is no celebration afterwards marking their victory. Sylvain locks himself in his room for several days.

Upon the return to the monastery, Manuela informs the participants to not speak of what happened as per orders from Rhea. She then says she doesn’t understand why this should be a secret and tells others anyway. Belle is asked to Edelgard’s room to discuss matters with her and Hubert. Belle tells them exactly what she witnessed. Miklan is known not to have a crest, and as a result of using the holy relic, he is transformed into a beast. Edelgard looks truly horrified hearing the account. Hubert interprets the information logically and she answers all of his questions with as much detail as she could recall. Sylvain’s brother had the lance in his hands as they had arrived. He fought for quite some time with several different people. The gem in the lance did not glow when he was wielding it, however once he had been fighting with it for a decent period of time, it suddenly glowed and the thick miasma like substance emerged from the crest stone location. Edelgard thanks her for the information, Hubert escorts her to the door. He does not make his normal snide remark before closing the door quietly behind her. She returns to her room scrubbing all of the remaining bits of ash and residue of the beast from herself and collapses into a nightmare filled sleep that repeats the events of the battle over and over.

  
\------------------  
Belle learns from Linhardt, Manuela, and Byleth and is now able to cast Heal and Physic. Her first cast of the heal spell is weak as is expected of a new healer. Her eyes open wide for a moment as the glowing light of the magic flows from what is approximately to be her elbows. Linhardt thought it odd, however he did not say anything. She quickly corrects her posture and the glow of magic flows through her hands. She studies anatomy, muscle structures and how they support and work with the bones of the body, blood flowing through the arteries, veins and capillaries. Now that she has some knowledge in healing, she is expected to take shifts in the infirmary to assist with healing anyone that needs treatment. Linhardt is elated because with more healers, he is required to spend less time working and that means more time sleeping. Belle also learns detailed first aid, treating cuts and bruises, sewing deep cuts, infection prevention, and setting broken bones. It is fascinating work and until she feels more confident about her healing abilities, she finds much of her spare time in the infirmary.

  
“You’re not after my job are you?” Manuela jokes.  
“No, but the more I can observe and learn, the more I can treat, the better my skills will be. I’ve always immersed myself in my learning, I can’t stop now.” Belle laughs.  
“Well, I am going to take a short break, take over for a while. I’ll be back.” Manuela nearly sings as she saunters out of the room.  
It is not long before someone bursts through the door, blood dripping down their arm and from their elbow.  
“Help!” Caspar is anxious and has left a trail behind him of red drops all over the floor.  
“Of course.” She calmly reassures him, leading him to a bowl so she could wash the blood away to see the actual injury. There is a deep slice in his thumb of his left hand.  
“Sparring practice? Someone with a bladed weapon?” She inquires.  
“Nothing as cool as that. Kitchen duty.” Caspar groans. “I was cutting vegetables and missed.”  
Belle cast a bit of magic to the area to create a cold and numbing effect. She then cleans the wound, takes a sterilized needle and thread and put several stitches in to pull the skin together. Finally, using healing magic she heals the wound until there is a barely visible scar.  
“I hope that’s okay” she softly remarks. Manuela would have healed it faster and left no trace of the injury, however her skill is not of that caliber. She hands him a glass of water to help with the blood he has lost.  
“It’s cool.” Caspar smiles. “I have scars all over, you can’t really see this one. Thanks.” He says over his shoulder as he is back out to create havoc somewhere else.  
She heads to the broom closet to retrieve a mop, wets it and wipes up the blood trail up to the stairs. She cannot leave all of that for Cyril to clean up.

Very late one evening Belle feels restless and cannot sleep. She decides to work on archery practice. She reflects on recent classes. The students are coming along well. They are gaining confidence in their abilities. Their range to strike is increasing and she hardly needs to make corrections to stance or positions for the students. A few students are learning how to ride horses, she will need to provide classes soon for students to manage firing their bows while mounted. She is lost in her thoughts when Hubert walks into the area.  
“Good evening, Hubert. What brings you here?” Belle asks.  
“Nothing in particular, making my rounds to be certain all is secure. You can never tell when a rat may be prowling about.” Hubert put the emphasis on the rat in his statement.

  
“I have done nothing contrary to Lady Edelgard’s requests. When she asks for additional classes or specialized training for anyone in her house, I comply and from what she has advised, I have met her expectations.” Belle remonstrates.  
“Have you? I see you continue to spar quite frequently with Fraldarius and recently Dimitri. That would be against her best interest.”  
“You are aware I work for the monastery? I am the instructor for weapon skills for all students, not only the Black Eagles. I am also a fellow student in your class. I contribute to the class and I am incredibly supportive. Should Lady Edelgard request any training for any of her house members, I would eagerly accept her request and train them to the minimum of her expectations, my goal, of course, is to exceed them.” The red haired woman angrily responds.  
“Now I hear that you are wasting your time learning faith magic. What brought this about?” The dark mage snaps accusingly.  
“I believe all students should know basic faith and first aid. If Linhardt is on the other side of the battlefield, it could save a member of the team’s life. I would not consider that to be a waste of time.” She tsk’s disdainfully at his attempt to downplay her latest interest.  
“You have not earned her trust, nor cleared your name from the list of potential traitors.” Hubert snarls.  
“Pray tell, what would you have me do to prove my loyalty? Become her footstool in front of the throne? Certainly, I have talents that would serve her much better than being a place to rest her feet. So Hubert, please advise as to what I should do to prove that I support Lady Edelgard, her ideals and interests as she has communicated to her house.”  
“You are an unknown, a wild card. I have yet to determine your true motives, your reasoning behind why you joined the Black Eagles.” He spits venomously.  
“Why don’t you ask me directly? Skulking about, shadowing and spying on me breeds distrust. You ask. I answer, and let my actions speak as to support or disprove my responses. It is simple.” She turns to the doorway and leaves the training area, returning to her room.

The month of Horsebow Moon is anxious to say the least. Flayn, a relative to Seteth is missing for weeks. Everyone is questioned. Every lead turns up to be a dead end. In speaking with Manuela, she has her suspicions as to who could have taken her. She speaks often of her mistrust of Professor Jeritza. The two are like oil and water. Actually, there is no teacher or student that works well with the angry man. He is more condescending and abrasive than Hubert, as if anyone could be that impossible. Hubert at least is motivated in his pursuit to support for Lady Edelgard. Jeritza is supercilious, disdainful and nasty. He has a huge superiority complex and beyond threatening anyone and everyone around him, he says little else. He lurks about the training grounds and harasses Byleth in his spare time. Belle thinks of him as simply rude and an annoyance until someone discovers Manuela unconscious on the floor of the knight’s room, bleeding from a stab wound. Belle, Edelgard and Professor Hanneman manage to bring her to the infirmary. Belle tends to the stab wound in the stomach area of her teacher. Hanneman is wringing his hands with worry. As much as he picks on Manuela, he still cares for her as a person, the concern on his face is quite obvious. Belle continues her magic until the wound completely closes and leaves no scar. It is the least she can do for her Professor. Manuela slowly regains consciousness. She recognizes her surroundings and then confirms their suspicions, her attacker was Jeritza.

  
Belle excuses herself from the infirmary as Manuela is weak but recovering quickly and Hanneman is watching over her. Returning to the Knights quarters, Belle finds the doorway to the hidden passageway, able to navigate the twists and turns with ease. She finds a huge room and the sound of battle ahead. She heads straight for the fight when she finds there are two unconscious students. She identifies one as Flayn, however has not seen the other girl before. She must be a student as she is dressed like one. Taking one at a time, she moves them up first into Jeritza’s room, then takes them to the infirmary. The brown haired girl appears to be unconscious from drugs or a spell. Flayn is out as well. She has obvious bruises, either from her struggles trying to get away or fighting with Jeritza or whoever assisted in abducting her. Belle notices marks at certain veins, were they taking her blood? The marks are large enough that crude syringes could have been used on the sleeping girl. Manuela helps get Flayn comfortable and checks her over. Hanneman runs to retrieve Seteth who will be thrilled at her safe return. Belle wishes to get back to the battle, however Manuela insists she stay to watch over the patients feeling that the Black Eagles are able to take care of themselves. She knows they can, but she will have hell to pay from Hubert because she was not helping Lady Edelgard.

Belle leaps out of bed hearing the taps coming from Byleth’s wall. She checks the window for any soldiers on patrol. She slips into his room without making a sound. They discuss what happened during the mission, Belle sharing her observations based on his retelling of the battle and interactions. Monica is an odd finding. An unscathed girl found a year later looking like nothing has happened? They will be watching that one closely. They also discuss the Death Knight and both believe that the culprit behind the mask is Jeritza.

The next month is the battle of the three houses at Gronder Field. Byleth, since he is the professor for their class will be participating with the Black Eagles. Belle will not be allowed to participate in the skirmish and she is greatly disappointed. She will be there to observe and assist with medical aid. She meets with Seteth and convinces him to allow her to only train the Black Eagles this month as she is a member of the class. This would follow in the mindset that would this be a real battle, they would have her at their disposal.

  
Belle begins keeping strange hours. She is working hard to have Bernadetta pass her test for the Assassin class. First she has to convince the petrified girl that she is not really an assassin and will not have to work for the terribly frightening Hubert, it’s just the name given to the class. The violet haired girl is certainly able to pass the bow skill portion, however her swordwork does need improvement. Bernadetta is terrified of anyone being close, with or without a weapon. Belle is able to speak with Bernie to the point of being allowed in her room for short periods of time. That is why they meet to practice in the training grounds very late at night, the door locked to prevent any others surprising them. It takes many late nights to break through some of the conditioning, the brainwashing her father put her through for so many years. Bernadetta is awarded for her passing the Assassins testing by having tea with Lady Edelgard, in her room, with Hubert standing guard outside.

  
Caspar is always happy to spar. Obtaining one on one instruction with the weapons instructor, he works hard to improve his concentration, mostly because she demands it from him. Belle drills the brawler making him perform positions of attack, methods of striking, disarming, defending repeatedly shouting out his actions until he is hoarse. They take a break, then come back to fight as she calls out an attack for him to use, seeing how it is effective against the strike she is leading with and it clicks for him. He also loves to brawl with her because she does not go easy on him. It is not unusual to see them rolling around on the ground grappling and trying to pin the other down like a couple of ten year old boys. It is not man vs. woman, it is two people beating the crap out of each other and having a great time. When he pins her, she makes him explain how to get her out of the position, and vice versa. She also teaches him special holds, how to grab and twist a wrist without breaking it, yet having full control over the arm with barely little movement to be able to force the opponent into positions such as face to the ground or flip them over. He loves the idea of flipping those larger than himself to get them to his level to win.  
Ferdinand needs minor modifications to his lance handling as he moves from being on foot to attacking from the back of his horse. His horsemanship is amazing, moving like he is one with the animal. He passes his class test quickly and with flying colors.

  
Hubert needs further lance work, neglecting his training in favor of his duties to Lady Edelgard or working on dark and reason magic. He begrudgingly has classes with Belle late in the day. He prefers the darkness of night, however the horses are not especially eager to comply. Belle is slowly learning how to discuss Hubert’s shortcomings or mistakes with him without having him counter with his own bitter assessments or threats of dark magic. She also discovers that he reacts well to praise, however this too must be in the precise quantity or yet again he would pull out his verbal daggers.  
Dorothea further develops her sword skills, as well as Petra. Petra loves to work with Belle on her archery, as they compete to find ways to complete difficult or trick shots. They both find that their favorites are quickly climbing trees and raining arrows down from above, something that may well be used in their battle at month end.

  
Linhardt being the odd one out, needs no training from Belle, instead he trains her further about the delicate intricacies of white magic. It isn’t too difficult to convince him to train with her, the reasoning being the better she is with her healing, the more hours she can work in the infirmary, leaving him more hours away and to sleep. Motivation is a wonderful thing.  
Throughout the month Edelgard has strategy meetings with the house, making plans as to their attacks against the other two houses on Gronder field. Belle is especially pleased when Edelgard thanks her in the middle of one such meeting for her assistance in training the fellow Eagles as well as herself in preparation for this event.

The battle at Gronder Field is thrilling. Belle watches at the top of the hill that seats the Archbishop, Seteth, Jeralt and a few other leaders at the Academy to watch the battle unfold. She knew intimately of Byleth’s attack strategy watching as it unfurls across the field like a rolled up blanket full of weapons and attacks. Bernadetta is merciless on the Ballista once they capture it. Firing attack after attack to weaken the enemy, the rest of the Eagles swoop in to finish the others off. Caspar encounters Raphael and easily takes him down using some of the new techniques he just mastered. The Blue Lions divide their forces, allowing them to be overtaken by the Black Eagles. Felix rushes forward without backup and is quickly surrounded and overwhelmed. Dimitri takes many hits from the archers and magic users weakening him so that by the time Edelgard and Hubert engage him he goes down quickly. Then finally they overpower the remaining Golden Deer, Claude, Hilda and Lysithia being the final three to succumb to the might that is the Black Eagles. Professor Byleth is carried on the shoulders of Edelgard and Caspar, parading him around the battlefield as Dorothea sings a song of Victory with Ferdinand joining her.

Red Wolf Moon delivers the first frost as the weather cools. Byleth is quite upset, distressing news is received about Remire Village. Belle has been there with the group previously and knows this town is one of Jeralt and Byleth’s favorite places. If any place is close to home to them, this would be it. A strange sickness is spreading through the village and it is getting worse. Byleth is terribly concerned. Ever since he first heard of it he’s been acting strange. He says he has a bit of vertigo. Belle thinks that is more of his feelings of sadness regarding his friends in the village. She has known him long enough to know his tells. He is worried, and that worries her, because she’s never seen him like this before.

Long after the students have gone to bed, Byleth and Belle are talking in Belle’s room. They recall a few times together in the village and understandably are concerned about the residents there. Byleth has known them much longer, but you always remember the towns that are kind to mercenaries. They speculate as to what can be causing such strange sickness in the town. Belle had spoken with the Gatekeeper recently, he said Tomas went out the front gate a while ago and has not come back.

Captain Jeralt calls Byleth as Remire is failing fast. The villagers are attacking each other, killing each other. Byleth gives the call to arms and the Black Eagles head to the village as fast as they can. When they arrive they are greeted by screams of crazed villagers, fleeing villagers and half of the buildings on fire.  
“This is revolting. So much worse that I had expected.” Edelgard laments, covering her eyes for a moment as a cursed villager tears out the throat of another that is trying to flee.  
The students argue amongst themselves how to best approach the horrific situation. Caspar suggests knocking out the crazy ones. Linhardt thinks we may kill ones that are not affected.

  
“We cannot just stand here twiddling our thumbs and do nothing!” Ferdinand proclaims.  
Edelgard spots a group that is observing the chaos, she gives the order to eliminate them first, then rescue the unafflicted villagers. Hubert doles out the orders and the Eagles disburse. Belle is to Edelgard’s left, Hubert to her right. Although it is dark, the light is getting brighter around them, buildings scattered around the village burn brightly. Screams are heard from a few buildings. They work attempting to save the villagers from the ones that are rampaging. Belle moves Edelgard out of the way, knocking a falling burning timber with her hand, preventing it from striking the house leader. They are able to save a few villagers as they work their way towards the area they saw the observers to the destruction.

  
Several strong fighters are there surrounding Thomas, the librarian from Garreg Mach. He is standing laughing at the horror that surrounds him.  
“Thomas! What are you doing here?” Edelgard yells at him, a look of surprise on her face.  
Thomas reveals himself as Solon, the self-proclaimed savior of all. His appearance changes from a kindly old man to a wrinkled and cruel looking abomination. His head is huge, with veins bulging in various places. His eyes appear in a reverse image, the white is dark, and the dark portion is lighter. Even his voice has changed to something much more sinister. He had been hiding in Garreg Mach for all this time in order to spy on all of them. He also states that he was able to procure blood from Flayn, which was why she was kidnapped.

  
They continue fighting the villagers working their way toward Solon. The disturbing looking being taunts them as Edelgard, Hubert, and Belle reach and attack him. Finally, he falls back, declaring he has what he came here for and he disappears. They search the remainder of the village for survivors and any others that are afflicted. The whole of the fight is horrifying. The crazed villagers have not only killed their own people but several of the Knights of Seiros. Even the Black Eagles have a few members with some injuries.  
“To poison these innocent people, turn them mad to attack each other. That was his purpose?” Belle says to no one in particular. For a moment she felt frozen at the implications of her statement. This is a weapon. She has seen what this can do. She swallows hard and tries to wipe her face of any emotion, especially the fear that is creeping up on her at this moment. She has known of things like this happening multiples upon multiples of times throughout history. War is not for the weak of stomach or heart. It cares not who the victims are, it only takes.

The next morning the sun is shining cheerfully as if the terrors of last night had never existed. The Archbishop announces there will be a grand ball at the end of the month. It is as if the death of the innocents, the murder of parents and children, is all swept neatly under a rug. Most of the students of the monastery are quite excited, especially the nobles who are familiar with these types of affairs. Ferdinand and Dorothea can only speak about their expectations of the grand party that is to come.  
Belle decides she will sit with Caspar and Linhardt for meals the next few weeks. Talking about fighting and healing is preferable to discussing dancing and romancing, something she knows nothing about. Linhardt mentions some of the villagers are still being treated in the monastery and she decides to accompany him to see if she can assist him and gain additional experience.

Belle enters the maintenance room of the monastery. She has built a storage closet and places a lock on it. Certainly, if someone is determined enough to break in they will, it should at minimum keep a few of the curious and those with sticky fingers out. She has been able to procure many raw materials from Anna in order to create items for her own repairs. As a result of the battles, her arms and legs have suffered damages, as well as her “skin”.  
A compact forge is in the corner venting into the fireplace in the wall of the building. A small bellows, hammer and tiny anvil for metalworking is to the side. She forges the necessary wires to replace some that have been damaged. Creating a modified form of plastic as coating, and building her own tools, she can keep her prosthetics functioning. Holes and breaks in her skin are repaired with a rubber/plastic compound. As long as she can keep moisture out, it should remain functional. The addition of her arm length leather gloves has saved her skin many times, however sharp blades make their way through the leather quite frequently. She fortifies the inside of her gloves with metallic bands. It’s not like her “muscles” would flex. Completing the necessary repairs, she pulls her skin back to its position, dons another pair of dark leather gloves, and returns the sleeves of her blouse past her elbows. Making sure everything is in its place, she prepares to leave the workroom when her exit is blocked by none other than Hubert.

  
“What interest do you have in this area?” Hubert inquires, an eyebrow raised.  
“Weapons development, of course.” Belle responds in a neutral tone.  
“How is this in the best interest of Lady Edelgard?” He drones.  
“Any weapon could be useful to Lady Edelgard of course. Currently I am procuring and developing the basic tools for my work. Everything is on a very small scale as I do not have the funds for larger projects. I do have some drawings that I have prepared for some items I will be working on as soon as my equipment is ready. Some may be right up your alley as well, knowing you have a great interest in espionage.” She confides.  
“I had no idea you would be interested in such things.” He chuckles.  
“If it would assist her cause and I am capable of doing so, why wouldn’t I?” Belle responds.  
“Hmm” is his only response.  
“It is late, I should retire for the evening. However should you wish I will provide copies of my plans.” Belle mentions as she walks past him through the door. She is quite relieved when he follows her out, however she is certain that he will come back to investigate the area that she had been working in and go over it with a fine-toothed comb.

“Are you going to the ball?” Bernadetta asks as she weeds her plot of ground in the greenhouse.  
“Lady Edelgard has declared that everyone will be in attendance, so yes. I will attend.” Belle shrugs.  
The violet haired girl lightly rubs her fingers along the side of a pitcher plant, as if she is petting it. “I understand. I had tutors to teach me to dance but being out among all of those people is terrifying.”  
“Where I am from we never had parties. There were no resources for them.” Belle muses “I had first seen dancing when I joined mercenaries here. I thought it was a waste of time like so many other things. Now I understand the need for balance to ones life. Becoming friends and relying on others is important. You have taught me in this way Bernie, and I thank you.”  
“M-Me? Bernie hasn’t done anything.” She stammers.  
“But you have!” Belle excitedly, but softly, replies, then takes a breath to keep her voice calm. “When I arrived, I had looked upon the students here as simply future leaders and soldiers. Working with you and the others of our class, everyone is now somehow closer to me. It is like a new family that we are building together. We want to support and help each other. We are concerned for each other’s wellbeing in so many different ways. As a soldier I would only help on the field, but for anyone in the Black Eagles I want more. I want to sit with you and learn needlework to help make your dresses pretty. I learn healing magic to give Linhardt more time to sleep. I’ve even had a yelling contest with Caspar because he found it fun. Fun. A strange idea, but you and the others have brought that into my life. I never really had that before. Thank you.”  
“Um, y-you’re welcome. I like to have fun with you too.” Bernadetta blushes, looking back at the plants and smiling.

Byleth and Belle find a quiet afternoon for tea. Belle is still experimenting with different types of teas. Today’s choice is Angelica. It goes in the no thank you pile. Most tea tastes like brown leaf water. Adding enough honey could make it more palatable, if barely.  
“This is the tea that Linhardt enjoys. It reminds him of his mother.” Byleth comments.  
“I’m sure you didn’t invite me here to discuss tea.” Belle cuts to the chase, as usual.  
“I’m trying to have a relaxing moment here. Although we do have a few things to discuss. Tell me, how are you doing? And don’t talk about the others or their training or progress or any of that. You deflect more than Hubert.”  
Belle frowns into her cup. “I am trying to understand the ball. I suppose it is a reward to the students for their hard work in the classes. I attempted research on this, however could not find anything in the library.”

  
Byleth sits upright in his chair. “Let the lesson begin. I have been speaking with quite a few students, professors and my father. The ball is indeed a reward for the students. It is also an opportunity for them to relate in a more, intimate way versus battle. In accepting dances with different other students, they may be able to identify others that they wish to court. Not every dance partner is always a potential suitor, friends will dance with other friends as well. Some approach others to dance with them as an act of privilege or providing respect to the other. Although the basic principles of the dance are a few specific movements, the placement of hands, the closeness of the two partners, the posture and position of each person can send a message to the partner or others watching the event. “  
“So a dance can be taken as a political or personal negotiation. That sounds extremely stressful. Can’t we just pull out swords and fight? Battle is much more straightforward.” She sighs.  
“You’ve been hanging around Felix too long” The tall man half smiles.  
“I suppose if I was raised in a noble house I would understand it much better. I will have plenty of time to watch others at the ball. Perhaps I can find someone who can assist me with identifying who is dancing with whom and is the purpose of that dance for a future personal or political relationship. That would pass the time.  
“You won’t be dancing?” Byleth looks up from his cup.  
“I can show my professor card, we are not required. This is for the students.“ She crosses her arms, lifts her nose and looks a bit snooty.

  
“Since we are on the subject of dancing,” Byleth casually asks. “I must choose a participant for the White Heron Cup. The winner will be able to be trained as a dancer. That would be a boon to our fighting, to have an additional strike in battle.  
“That is fascinating. Just by dancing it can inspire a fighter or mage to be able to launch a second attack so quickly?” Belle loves the idea.  
“Would you have any thoughts as far as a dancer?” He asks for her recommendations.  
“Dorothea and Ferdinand would be the first to come to mind. I know Bernadetta has been tutored to dance, but her personality is such it would interfere with her performance in a competition.” Belle observes. “I am certain Lady Edelgard would be fantastic, however I would much rather see her on the receiving end as her attacks are breathtaking and quite deadly.”  
“I am in agreement. I think I will approach Dorothea.” The Professor nods.  
“Tell me, can you Dance atop a horse? If that could be done, Ferdinand could traverse wide areas across the battlefield.” Belle chuckles.  
“I don’t think one can dance while mounted.” Byleth answers seriously. “Again, this is another point in Dorothea’s direction.“

Byleth appoints Dorothea as the dancer who is immediately beside herself with joy. Ferdinand is a bit disappointed, however he volunteers to be her practice partner. Dorothea knows the dance steps expertly, when she was in the opera she had been invited to quite a few different balls. Her hand movements are graceful, accenting the dance moves perfectly. Ferdinand leads her around the practice area with ease as she twirls and bends to his slightest lead.  
When it comes time for the competition the beautiful brunette is nervous, however Ferdinand whispers something in her ear that brings a smile to her face and provides her confidence. When it is her turn to perform, she completes the routine with absolute perfection. The judges unanimously find her to be the best dancer and winner of this year’s White Heron Cup. The Black Eagles surround her for a group hug and Dorothea has stars in her eyes from all of the love and appreciation.

  
The Ball consumes the minds of almost every student of the monastery. They take nearly a full day to primp and fluff and paint and perfume themselves to complete excess. At least that is what Belle thinks as she goes through her normal routine for most of the day. Felix is happy to spar with her. She completes her shift in the infirmary just thirty minutes before the start of the ball. Belle freshens up a bit. She dons her black ¾ sleeve dress that is just a foot from the floor, the neckline extremely modest, a tight collar around her throat. Her new gloves have black underlayment covered by black lace in a rose pattern woven along them and silk cuffs at the end. Matching stockings and soft shiny black slipper shoes to complete her look. She pulls her dark red hair back by a black dagger-like clip and allows it to curl loosely to the back, draping slightly onto her shoulders. It is strange not feeling the extra protection of leather or metal armor, she supposes she can tolerate it for one night. The hardest part is leaving without a sword. She will have to deal with only eight blades of one type or another hidden on her person.

  
She enters the grand ballroom to find Bernadetta nervously looking about like a frightened rabbit. She approaches the timid girl slowly, making sure she is well in her line of vision before sitting next to her but not too close.  
“Hello Bernadetta, I am so happy to see you in your beautiful dress.” Belle murmurs softly, trying not to spook her. “I think all of your embroidery is exceptional. Now that I’ve seen it in the daylight I think the color matches your eyes. Magnificent work my friend.” She smiles softly.  
“R-really? Bernie really didn’t do much of anything.” The shy girl looks down at the napkin on her lap.  
“You and I have been working diligently on our needlework for the last few weeks. I know you were so happy when you finished three days before the ball. You are amazing.” She taps her fingers reassuringly on Bernadetta’s.  
“Why are you dressed all in black and gloomy? It almost looks like you are heading to a funeral. N-not that I am saying you are, but there are so many beautiful colors out there.” She shyly asks.  
Belle ponders for a moment. “I’ve never been to one of these to know what to wear. I’m not a full student or professor. I felt to err on the side of modesty. Black is my favorite color.”

  
Caspar and Linhardt join the women by sitting at the opposite side of the table. Belle offers to go with Bernadetta to pick up a few desserts that are at the edge of the room. Returning with chocolate cake, lemon cake and some tube things with fluffy stuff, the violet haired girl excitedly thanks her and digs into the deserts.  
“Hey.” Caspar notices Belle as she sits next to the happily snacking Bernie. “Why are you dressed like you are mourning?”  
“For Fun.” Belle doesn’t know what to say, so that is hopefully enough.  
Caspar shrugs and turns to talk to Linhardt who has made himself comfortable and fallen asleep on the table. The ball goes on. She watches the house leaders dancing with different partners. Hubert dances with Edelgard. Byleth dances with Edelgard. Claude dances with Byleth. Byleth is then asked to dance by quite a few people, he seems to be very popular. He appears to be a bit confused by all the attention but is having a great time.  
Belle watches Dorothea moving from partner to partner, dancing with men and women and even a few of the school’s staff members. Her smile is so bright and her dancing is perfect. Hopefully she is having the time of her life.  
“Can you explain some of this to me Bernadetta?” Belle whispers close to the shy girls ear. “I am not a noble, nor a dancer. Why is everyone so excited for this?”  
Bernadetta gasps. “Why, for love of course. This is THE most romantic night of the year. A man can show his intent to court another simply by asking them to dance. Once on the dance floor they may converse, or flirt, get to know each other. Accepting a dance is not formally accepting courtship of course, but it gives you a bit more time to get to know another in a, cough, closer context. Haven’t you ever read romance novels?”  
“Dorothea, for example. Is she going to court all of these men and women? What do fiction books have to do with this?” Belle asks with an exasperated look on her face.  
“No, not exactly. She does find out who may have an interest in her by them asking her for a dance. Their conversation during the dance usually goes further to confirm their interest or to reveal they just wanted a dance.”  
“So a dance can be a dance, or less or more?” the red haired woman mumbles.  
“Exactly.” The violet haired woman replies. “Romance novels may tell about made up scenes, but it gives an insight to the emotions and feelings of the characters that is not evident on the surface. Their internal thoughts and emotions may be in a tumultuous storm.”  
“Ugh. Fighting with swords is so much easier.” The part-time professor groans, putting her hand over her face. She jumps as the girl next to her jumps.

  
Cautiously and slowly approaching, Ferdinand stops a few feet from Bernadetta and bows, requesting a dance.  
The girl sits and stares at him as if she is a rabbit ready to run into the woods. Ferdinand slowly reaches out his hand towards her, palm up, waiting for a reply.  
Belle whispers in her ear, “Its only a dance, go ahead, you know how sweet he is.”  
Against all odds, the shy girl timidly places her hand in his palm as he slowly leads her to the edge of the ballroom floor, placing his hands lightly on her waist and leading her into a waltz.  
Belle sees an opportunity before her. The darkly dressed woman heads for the doors leading outside to remove herself from the loud music and slightly overpowering smell of perfume and cologne.

A far different crowd is outside. The non-dancing rowdier bunch is gathered into a few small groups. She sees that Caspar has found his way outside and is arm wrestling with some boy in the Blue Lions. Claude is in a circle with 8 or 9 others telling randy jokes. There are a few couples on scattered benches sitting next to each other, holding hands and blushing. Belle crosses the small courtyard, hoping to sneak back to her dorm. Unfortunately, Caspar yells and invites her to the table where his competition is ongoing.  
“Come on, Professor! I know you have a great arm! Show these Lions here what the Eagles are made of!” Caspar yells, loud enough for everyone 300 feet away to hear crystal clearly.  
“Hush.” Belle wags a finger in his face as she sits down next to him. “What are you going on about?”  
“See here, this guy says that the Blue Lions have the strongest guys on their team. Now you’re not a guy, but anyways, you’re for sure stronger than him, so show him that we Eagles are the best!” Caspar blurts out excitedly.  
“So what you want is revenge for him beating you, yes?” Belle surmises.  
“Maybe, a bit.” Caspar looks away.  
“Right. Are you prepared?” she looks up at the boy with nice muscles peeking out from the sleeves of his shirt. He certainly never misses arm day.  
“Yeah. Blue Lions Rule!” The boy hollers as he sits across from Belle.  
They grasp fingers across the table of the non-wrestling hands, then assume the ready position.  
Caspar puts his hand on top of both of theirs. “Three, two, one, GO!” as he takes lets them free.  
They both put their shoulders into it. The boy starts to furrow his brows in concentration as the hands between them shake a bit, neither leaning to the advantage of the opponent. Belle’s face is calm, neutral, void of emotion. She loves that look that Byleth has, it’s so powerful.  
Belle hears the breathing of the boy across become heavier, she feels his pulse is increasing. She doesn’t want him to hurt himself so she forces his hand down on the table, his wrist touching first then the back of his hand. The boy stands and rips his hand from her grip, cursing as he stomps away.  
Caspar leaps up and screams, “Yeah! Eagles all the way!”

  
Belle shakes her head and starts to get up, however there is a new opponent across from her, taking her hand.  
Claude grasps her non wrestling hand and kisses it on the knuckles. “If I may, Professor.”  
Belle blinks a couple times, then shakes her head as she takes her position across from the schemer.  
Caspar places his hands on theirs, completes the countdown and lets go.  
Belle applies the same pressure as he does, his upper arm strength built from years of archery, she looks at his forearms as the muscles are tense and beautifully sculpted. He is leaning further and further over his arm until she sees his face far too close to hers. She loses her concentration for a moment as the back of her arm is heading towards the wrong direction. She quickly turns her face and smashes the back of his hand against the table, digging her fingers into the wood as his lips brush against her cheek.  
“You sneak!” Belle chastises him as she stands, hands on her hips.  
“It wouldn’t be me if there wasn’t a little something extra going on, now would it?” Claude folds his arms behind his head and leans back a bit, a little disappointed that his plan did not quite work.  
Belle heads for the darkness away from the party, she’s had enough of all of this foolishness for one evening.

Belle walks silently back to the dorms, sticking to the darker sides of the pathways in hope of melting into the shadows. Just as she rounds a corner she hears a voice close behind. He’s already caught up to her.  
“Leaving already?“ Hubert questions.  
“Yes. It is getting quite late.” She stops and remains motionless, responding to the voice in the darkness.  
“I did not see you on the dance floor, are you ill perhaps?” His voice is soft, almost directly behind her right ear. She stops herself from shivering.  
“First, I don’t know how. Secondly, I am ignorant of all of the political implications, I would not want to accidentally commit to something that could cause some sort of ruckus or anything adverse to Lady Edelgard’s wishes.”  
“Really. Sometimes a dance is just a dance.” Hubert chuckles.  
“Things that appear that simple never are. Good night, Hubert.”  
“Good night, Belle.” He responds.

  
She returns to her room and nearly tears off the dress and adornments for the evening, tossing them in the corner where she knows the ceiling has a leak.  
Dressing for bed she begins practicing her breathing techniques, morning cannot come fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you can tell, I have no idea how to best break this stuff apart. I have so many things to tell you guys and share this world. I'll try to make chapters smaller next time


	3. Dying, Rising and Beginnings of a War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeralt Dies.  
> The Fell Star Rises to consume even the darkness itself.  
> Ferdinand holds a tea party.  
> oh, and Edelgard declares War

She arises in the darkness well before the sun is up. Alois is searching for Jeralt and bangs on Byleth’s door. Belle being in the next room is roused and dressed for battle in less than 2 minutes. She stands behind Alois listening in on the conversation.

“I’ll awaken the eagles” Belle informs the professor. When she returns Jeralt is with them. There are monstrous beasts in the old chapel area. At least four of them. They are close enough to the monastery to invade and kill the students. The Black Eagles meet quickly at the front gate of the monastery. They head out to where a long disused chapel is hidden in the forest alongside the Academy. The crashing and splintering of wood is heard as demonic beasts, taller than the trees they knock over, are heading towards anything that moves.

Belle yells to the archers and mages in the group. “Aim for their eyes if you can see them. These beasts are tough.”

All of the students in the Black Eagles are working fantastically as a unit. When one is attacking, the others are watching for side attacks or providing defense and cover. When the first beast is defeated, they cheer, however it ends quickly as the beast crumbles and falls to ash and dust. In its place lies the body of a student, dressed in the uniform of the academy. Somehow students are being transformed into these beasts. They take out the beasts, mages, archers and fighters that have been causing the disturbance. Byleth is close to an old chapel, battling alongside his father. They are able to rescue some students that are trapped there. Monica, the one that was rescued with Flayn is one of them. She talks to Jeralt for a moment and as he turns away, she makes a movement to backstab him. Byleth tries to use the Sword of the Creator, however Solon appears and stops the blade, allowing Jeralt to be killed. Solon takes the girl and warps away. Byleth runs to his father’s side. As Belle approaches, she watches the Captain take his last breath. Byleth is inconsolably crying over his father’s death. Belle pulls the dead man’s cape over the face and carries Jeralt back to the monastery. The strange blade is still in his back. She studies the wound, it has obvious signs of some type of poison. She quickly sketches the curved blade that is an unusual color, the surface is covered with a greasy poison. Hubert arrives and confiscates the blade.

A brief ceremony is held for Jeralt Eisner who is then buried in the small cemetery on the monastery grounds. His body is placed in a box and buried. Byleth is still too shaken to attend. Belle assists with digging the grave, the ground is cold and hard. She is shocked that Rhea, Seteth and Flayn are not here to attend. They send an unknown priest to say a few words as they lower the body. Only the Black Eagles, Jeralt’s Mercenaries Battalion and a few students from the other houses attend. Belle does not leave until the plot is filled and she places flowers on his grave.

Belle taps on the shared wall between her and Byleth. It is early in the morning and she has not seen him for days. Yet again he has not answered. She goes outside and knocks on his door.

“By, if you don’t let me in, I’m coming in anyway. I’m not taking no for an answer.” She stands and waits. She shifts her stance. “Ok 5…4…3” she hears the door lock click.

She bursts into the door and slams it shut behind her. Byleth is a mess, his face is crusty from his tears having dried on his cheeks. Belle strides over to him and taking him into her arms she hugs him firmly. They stand with their arms around each other and cry together. When she feels his legs begin to weaken, she picks him up and carries him to his bed, lying him down.

Belle hands him a glass of water. “Drink this.”

He takes the glass and drains it.

Belle pats him on the head. “Good boy. Give me your key. I’m getting you food. You are going to eat.” She holds out her hand until he gives her the key. “Be right back.” She says going out the door and heading to the kitchens. She cooks up oats covered in milk, adding cinnamon, raisins, ginger and a dash of nutmeg. After it has simmered long enough she pours it into a large bowl and adds honey. She also prepares some chamomile tea, pouring it into slightly warm cups, adding honey to Byleth’s cup. Once she returns she finds him sitting up on his bed leaning against the headboard. She puts his pillow on his lap and places the hot bowl of oatmeal there and hands him a spoon. She pulls a table next to the bed and places his cup within reach as she sits down on the chair with her own cup.

Byleth has to stop eating a few times as the tears refuse to be held back.

“You need to bathe. I can clean you like an unconscious patient or walk you to the baths. I will not let you smell like some of these raunchy teenagers.” Belle softly speaks, but there is an authoritative look in her eye. “No one else is about. If they are, they will not approach.”

Byleth quietly sighs, then nods as she escorts him to the baths, handing him his clean clothes as he enters. Once he finishes she walks him back to his room. She sings to him until he falls asleep. Then she returns to her own room to try to sleep herself.

After another day, Byleth returns to the classroom. He is quiet and withdrawn again. His face completely emotionless as he leads the class. After dismissal Lady Edelgard and Hubert have a word with the Professor.

“My teacher,” Edelgard begins. “We want to help you. We had no idea that Monica was there or was capable of such a thing.”

“Surely you will appreciate the fact that we are looking for her and will assist you at the first opportunity to enact your revenge.” Hubert adds.

Byleth thinks for a moment and then silently nods.

Edelgard reaches for his hand, holding it within hers. “I am so sorry for your loss my teacher. I will be happy to do anything to assist you. If you need anything, just ask.”

They take their leave as Byleth returns to his desk to complete grading papers. Belle watches them walk away. No good will come from that.

Byleth begins to clear his father’s belongings from the Captain’s office. The girl inside his head remembered that he was supposed to look for something that Jeralt had mentioned just before he had been murdered. Belle is assisting by bringing boxes of the items he wishes to keep in his room, distributing other items to their designated recipients. One such moment, she finds him reading a small book intently.

“Close the door.” He orders.

Belle shuts the door and stands by the boxes, placing the now empty one next to them. She looks at his face, he is upset by what he is reading, however she does not want to question him.

“Did you know that I have no heartbeat?” He asks, his voice is shaking as well as his hands.

Belle walks to his side and takes a hand. “I have never heard your heartbeat. But you must have a heart.” She touches his wrist. “You have a pulse. You bleed. Your pulse thrums as if a heart is pumping the blood through your body.”

“I don’t like this. I don’t want to be different. When I was born my father was afraid of me. He felt I was very strange. I never laughed or cried. This is his diary, filled with his thoughts.” Byleth waves the book around in the air. “He felt Rhea had done something to me when I was born. He was living here until shortly after my mother’s death and my birth. What else is Rhea be hiding?”

Belle shakes her head. “Churches have so many secrets, influence over the people. They can help people or control them. Her motives don’t make sense in so many ways. The rebellions of the other two churches, divisions of the same church, conspirators are immediately put to death. If this is supposed to be the same religion, would they not at least talk? What gives her the right to send children, these students, out to fight her battles? Is she training them to be leaders or future members of her army? There are so many things that do not make sense.” Belle pats his shoulder. “But being different is not always a bad thing. Just ask that girl in your head. She’s part of this too.” She wishes to say more about being different, but decides that discussion is for another day.

Edelgard notifies Byleth that the person that killed her father has returned to the sealed forest. Byleth sets his jaw, ready for revenge. The Black Eagles head out to the ruins on the holy grounds. Waiting there are enemy fighters, archers, mages and a half dozen demonic beasts. Byleth divides the team in half, Belle is sent with Caspar, Ferdinand, Dorothea and Bernadetta. Belle leads her party to the left, the others go to the right.

The closest beast attacks, razor sharp claws swing at Caspar. He hits the appendage and then dodges, he is nearly impaled by the dagger like protrusions. Bernadetta is firing at what she hopes is the monster’s face, it is difficult to tell. Dorothea attacks with her magic as Ferdinand moves quickly into striking range on his horse, successfully manages a hit then recedes from the beast, turning around for his next attack.

Belle sends her battalion in for an attack that does some damage, but most importantly sends the beast into confusion, making it difficult for the beast to concentrate attacks on the team. They take down the first beast quickly enough, only for it to fall into ash. Leaving behind the body of a student.

“Keep moving!” Belle yells, trying to have them focus on her and not the body on the ground. She races to the next beast at full speed with two swords at the ready. Running straight into its chest she stabs, twisting the blades. The swordswoman is lifted several feet off of the ground as the beast rears back howling. She falls to the ground rolling away as it brings its giant maw down attempting to catch her in its teeth. The beast latches onto her left forearm, picking her up and throwing her into some bushes twenty feet away. Dorothea rushes over to her teammate. The red-haired woman gets back up on her feet, grabbing her arm.

“Your arm, let me heal it.” The songstress reaches out her hands, white magic at the ready.

“M’fine, it bit my gauntlet.” Belle taps the other woman’s shoulder and runs back into the fray.

The beasts and enemies are defeated. They come upon a flat stone covered area with tall stone pillars surrounding it. In the center is Kronya, the murderer of Jeralt. Edelgard comes forward to begin the takedown of the scorpion tailed thing. Hubert follows with miasma and Bernadetta fires an arrow, causing Kronya to scream. Kronya runs, quickly pursued by Byleth. Just as he catches up with her, Solon appears behind the redheaded evil creature. Byleth sends the whiplike blade of the Sword of the Creator after Kronya, however Solon deflects it from the target as if it were a fly.

“Solon, don’t just stand there, I need help!” Kronya yells at him.

Solon calmly walks towards her. “Yes, you do.” He cackles as he reaches out his hand towards her. He suddenly moves at lightning speed, forcing his hand into her chest. “Have no fear, Kronya. Your sacrifice will help us rid this world of the filthy vermin that have long infested it.” He mutters as he still has his hand inside her chest, moving back to the edge of the stones. Dark purple magic begins to flow from the pillars. In the center of it all stands Byleth who stands paralyzed watching as Solon kills the girl.

Belle starts to run for Byleth, she can’t leave him alone with Solon. Caspar tackles her as Ferdinand cuts her off on his horse. She hits the ground hard watching the magic rise all around Byleth til she can no longer see him. The magic is making a rumbling noise, the ground shakes. Solon is talking but she can’t hear him or see him on the other side of the wall of magic. Darkness swallows the grounds around the pillars then it is quiet. The magic, and Byleth, is gone. Solon stands alone on the far side of the stone area.

“Be gone with you…Fell Star.” His voice cackles evilly.

They all surround Solon. Only Edelgard is brave enough to accost Solon. “That could only be magic. What have you done with our Professor?” she asks.

Solon laughs. “They were swallowed by the mystical darkness of the forbidden spell. An eternity wandering in a void of nothingness, never to return to this world. To think we almost had the Sword of the Creator.”

The rest of the Black Eagles deny that the Professor is dead.

Solon gleefully continues “Your friend may not be dead, but there are worse things than death. Drifting through the darkness with no chance of escape. Overwhelmed with hopelessness…It must be torturous.”

Edelgard and the team threaten Solon, advising the professor has come through many dangers and can beat this as well.

Solon has had enough. “Perhaps you would also like to join the ranks of the dead.”

But before he moves, there is a vision that looks like an invisible cloth has just been ripped into two in the sky, the tip of the Sword of the Creator emerges from the tear.

Solon mutters. “So the Fell Star consumes even the darkness itself.”

Byleth leaps out of the rip in the sky and it disappears behind him. He looks different, his hair is now green, like Rhea, Seteth and Flayne. He brings around the Sword of the creator and leads the attack. Solon warps back to a small area further away and summons multiple enemies including more demonic beasts. The Black Eagles and the Professor make their way closer and closer to Solon, defeating all of his abettors that surround him. Byleth makes a critical strike against Solon.

“To think..that I would lose to mere beasts. This is not the end. Thales will carry out our mission.” Solon speaks weakly as he falls to the ground, dead. His body quickly turns to dust.

They return to the monastery, the group splitting off into different directions once safely within the tall stone walls. Edelgard, Byleth and the Professor are lagging behind, having one of their ‘discussions’. Belle heads straight to the workshop, barring the door behind her. Hubert shouldn’t be around to bother her for a while, this is the best time to fix her problem. She has to wrench the gauntlet from her arm, part of its metal has teeth marks pushing into her arm. She tosses her ruined glove to the side and she can now see that the beast bent her left forearm. The remainder of the daylight hours are spent working to straighten the exterior housing, repair what sensors and wiring she can and then carefully bend the access plates back to their positions. The thickness of the exterior ‘skin’ would be able to hide most of the wrinkles in the metal. New gloves on top of it all and everything looks normal again.

Belle emerges from the workshop into the darkness of night. She stops by the kitchens to see if there is a bit of leftovers to grab before bed. She finds a few vegetables and pieces of meat, shoving them between a bun she cut in half. Room temperature tea is found to wash it down. She heads back to the dorms. Silently entering her room, she taps on the wall where Byleth’s bed is on the other side. Not a minute later he comes into her room. Belle tries so hard not to flinch at his altered appearance. Looking at his face, he is on the verge of tears.

He said that Rhea has spoken to him but he cannot understand what she was trying to tell him. He feels so overwhelmed. He had just returned to his room when Belle had called him over. He’s lost his father, now he reveals that he has lost Sothis. He tells about their merging and she’s supposed to always be with him. He can no longer hear her, no longer talk to her. He feels so alone. Belle sits at the top of her bed, pulling his head into her lap as he lies down and softly weeps. She runs her fingers through his hair. She has no words to comfort him. Being there for him hopefully will be enough. She hums tunelessly until she feels his body relax and he sleeps.

School and teaching continue. Byleth is as shocked as everyone else about his appearance, however he assures everyone he feels the same. Hubert is called away to duties in the Empire. The students are working hard to pass certification exams to further their skills and abilities. Belle holds extra classes assisting the Black Eagles to be certain that they will pass.

Suddenly Edelgard is called to Enbarr and Byleth is asked to accompany her. Belle teaches in his stead. The students are all attentive and well behaved. This could be as a result of Lady Edelgard stating that she will not tolerate anyone giving Professor Belle a difficult time, or it could be from Belle stating that anyone causing problems or distractions in class will spar with her personally until they could no longer lift a weapon or stand whichever comes first.

Ferdinand invites Belle to tea, stating that it is his duty to thank her for continuing the classes studies while Professor Byleth is indisposed and that it is the honorable thing to do as a noble. It is too cold to take tea outdoors, therefore the tall noble sashays into the Black Eagles classroom bearing a large tray holding a beautiful tea set and a plate of tarts and treats after class has ended.

“I hope you do not mind. I have no idea what tea is your favorite. I’ve brought Southern Fruit Blend today. It is an exquisite blend that really showcases the local fruits in a divine fashion. I have also provided sugar and honey should you like it to be even sweeter. “

Belle stacks the paperwork she was working on for class aside as Ferdinand places a dainty teacup, saucer, spoon, and plate in front of her. He removes the towel from around the teapot that helps in keeping it warm, and pours, filling her cup first, then his.

Belle bends a bit closer to the cup. “It smells very fruity. I’ll let it cool a moment before tasting to see if it needs more sweetness. I don’t recall ever having this particular blend before.”

Ferdinand grins, “Then you are in for a treat, my Lady. I, as a true tea connoisseur shall educate you on the finer details of teatime!

Belle tries not to let the feeling of confusion overtake her face. They are supposed to sit and talk pleasantly while drinking brown leaf water. What is this about an education? Is she in his class now? Are there some rituals going on here and now she is creating a huge faux pas? She decides to smile pleasantly and keep her hands clasped gently in her lap as Ferdinand goes into a lecture regarding the history of having tea, the proper teas for the circumstances and which types of desserts are to be matched with which blend of tea.

Belle brings the cup to her lips, she almost laughs into her tea thinking with all of the hot air that Ferdinand is spouting her tea has managed to cool enough to drink. Taking a sip she finds it…tolerable. There are sweet notes from the fruit, apple for certain. There is no bitterness, fairly smooth. She dips the spoon into the honey, spinning it until there is no sign of dripping and lets a small dollop flow into her cup, returning the spoon to the honey container. Taking her own tableware she stirs the honey into her tea. For goddess sake she is so nervous about doing something as silly as tea incorrectly. She lifts the cup to her lips, takes a sip and smiles, looking up to see Ferdinand’s eyes are boring into hers, watching every move she makes.

“Delightful.” She smiles at him. Do. Not. Roll. Your. Eyes.

His shoulders relax slightly as he gives a slight gasp of relief. “But of course! Did I not tell you it is exquisite!” He pauses and lifts the plate of sweets. “Please indulge.” He smiles as he moves the tray before her.

Her smile is frozen in place. Is he testing her? How many hours have we been at this? Would he bring a treat that conflicts with the tea as a test? She reaches for a plain sugar cookie, pleading inside her head that she has chosen wisely.

Ferdinand returns the plate to the table, taking a sugar-coated raspberry tart and placing it onto his plate after taking a bite.

“As you know, Professor Byleth occasionally likes to bestow gifts upon his students for certain occasions. Should he ask me for what recommendations to have for you, what should I tell him?” Belle quickly takes a sip of tea, hoping he will take the bait and change the topic of conversation.

The redhead sits back in his seat, tapping his chin with his index finger. “I suppose if I have to choose something it would have to revolve around one of my interests. I adore horseback riding, so anything to do with that. Tea of course, I love sampling blends from all over. Sometimes even the simplest blend could be the absolute best choice for an occasion. Finally, perhaps something to do with weapons and maintenance. Once can never have enough proper whetstones.”

Belle internally cheers. “You are absolutely correct! I go through whetstones at a surprising rate. And there are different stones needed for different weapons. The oils themselves can make a difference in how much work you have to do to keep a weapon adequately sharp.”

They talk of weapons and preferred methods of using whetstones until the tea becomes cold.

They thank each other for the pleasant conversations over tea and Ferdinand takes his tray and cups. Once the door closes behind him, Belle drops her forehead to the desk with a thump. She would rather have one, no two, lectures from Seteth than to have to be graded over teatime by the noblest of nobles.

Lady Edelgard, Hubert and Byleth return to the monastery, all acting as if they had never left. Belle happily relinquishes the leading of the class to the true Professor and returns to being seated with the students. After class she has an appointment with Bernadetta and Ashe to practice archery. She believes they will do well and pass their exams, but practice will only further improve their skills and stamina. The tutoring goes very well. Bernadetta has been quite calm and even conversational in this small group. After a very successful practice, Belle sends the two off to have lunch. She retrieves the arrows from the targets, happy that not one is on the ground, and returns to put things in order.

“Hubert, how nice of you to drop in.” the redheaded woman says as he steps around the corner of the entrance to the archery range.

“I see you are busy as always.” His voice is low as he approaches.

“Is there anything I can help you with? Archery? Lance work? Being Lady Edelgard’s right hand man, I know you need to keep yourself in top shape. Perhaps a spar?” Belle turns to find him standing a bit closer to her than normal.

“There is much change in the air.” He speaks softly, yet sternly, grabbing Belle at her wrist. “Soon choices will be made. Be prepared.” With that he leaves, disappearing around the corner. 

Belle is inside Byleth’s room before he even taps on the wall. They sit next to each other, whispering between them. He informs Belle that Edelgard had taken him to Enbarr to be the witness for her coronation, she is now the Emperor. Belle tells him of Hubert’s warning of upcoming changes and they both agree that things are about to come to a head.

Tomorrow they are to meet in the Holy Tomb for whatever revelation that Rhea thinks will happen. The two of them know that he has been speaking with Sothis, the girl in his head, for quite a while. Whatever Rhea has done to Byleth, things are not working out the way she has planned.

The next day the Black Eagles, Byleth, and Lady Rhea meet in the holy tomb. Rhea reveals a large staircase going upwards to a stone dais ending with a large stone throne. Rhea asks Byleth to climb the stairs and sit on the throne. Byleth is to be delivered a revelation from the goddess Sothis. Rhea is disappointed because nothing happens.

Suddenly there is an appearance by Empire soldiers

“Stop right there.” Declares Emperor Edelgard.

Metody, one of her generals, orders everyone not to move. He then announces that the Imperial army will take possession of everything here.”

The Black Eagle students think that he may be working with the Flame Emperor. They ask if Edelgard knows about this.

“I gave the order. I am the Flame Emperor.” Announces Edelgard.

“I guess that’s the end of play-at-school, Your Majesty.” Laughs Hubert.

Metodey then tells the Empire soldiers to take all the crest stones and bones of the saints.

Rhea shouts, “Insolence! You will pay for your sins desecrating this holy resting place! Professor, destroy these villainous traitors who dare dishonor the holy tomb!”

Edelgard explains to Byleth and the Black Eagles “I’m sorry my teacher. I cut this path, and now I must follow it. My friends. I ask that all of you stay back! It is not my intention to fight you. By order of the Adrestian Emperor, Edelgard von Hresvelg, I command you to collect the Crest Stones. If anyone attempts to stop us…kill them.”

Rhea orders the Professor and students. “I will not allow such violence from the Empire. Strike down the rebels and protect the holy tomb. Protect the crest stones at any cost.”

There is a brief battle between the Empire fighters, the students and Byleth. Byleth attacks Emperor Edelgard. Before she is severely injured, Edelgard stops the battle. The crest stones are saved.

“I have no intention of killing you. So stand down, get out of my way.” The Emperor orders the Professor. 

Rhea is seething with anger. “You have disappointed me Edelgard, to think that a descendant of Hresvelg would defy the holy church.”

“So, it is my teacher who stands in my way. I always knew it would come to this.” Edelgard addresses Byleth.

Rhea orders Byleth to kill Edelgard at once. “She is a danger to all of Fodlan. Such a rebellious heart cannot be allowed to keep beating.”

Byleth pauses only for a moment before he walks over to stand beside Edelgard.

Rhea is furious. “You! How dare you.!”

Edelgard is overwhelmed. “My teacher…I…thank you. But are you certain that …. No, now isn’t the time for discussion.”

Hubert warps behind them. “Words cannot properly express my gratitude, Professor. “

Rhea is livid. Her face is unrecognizable. “So, this is the choice you have made. You are just another failure. Your presence soils this holy tomb and disgraces my brethren. I will not allow one who would lend our enemies strength to wield the power of the goddess Sothis. I have passed judgement, and now I shall rip your chest open and take back your heart myself!” In an instant there is a bright light and Rhea transforms into a giant white dragon.

Hubbert laughs. “Heh heh heh. That must be the Immaculate one.”

Emperor Edelgard agrees. “Yes. The monsters that have controlled Fodlan in secret for far too long… Rhea is their leader.”

Hubert alerts her. “There is no time to waste. Your majesty, professor. We must escape while we can.”

They all flee the area and regroup outside of Garreg Mach at the Imperial Army’s provisional camp. Emperor Edelgard asks all of the Black Eagles students if they are certain that they want to join her. As expected, Flayne has left their ranks. They all reassure their Emperor that they will be there for her and give their reasons for staying.

“The greater our numbers the better, your reasons for being here are of no consequence.” says Hubert.

Edelgard passionately implores her friends. “You have witnessed the archbishop’s true self. They use the beasts power to fabricate miracles. They control their followers who blindly do as they say. They hide truth, force nobility to do their bidding and finally kill those that defy them. We are the only ones that can stop them. We will fight for everyone of Fodlan.” She asks them all to join her for this fight. She will deliver her Manifesto to all lords in Fodlan and expose the evils of the church of Seiros as well as dark practices of the nobles of the kingdom and alliance.

Edelgard appoints the former students and professors with her as members of the Black Eagle Strike Force.

There are several strategic meetings held within the provisional camp. Belle works with the former students and their battalions to prepared for the attack on the monastery that will begin as soon as the large portion of the Empire’s army arrives at the camp. Weapons and armor are accounted for, maintained, and sharpened. Belle and Byleth work hard, drilling all of the teams regarding fighting skills, the healers work on teaching all about field dressing wounds and packing supplies with them. By the time the army joins them, they are ready for the attack. The Death Knight arrives working with them under Emperor Edelgard’s control.

They join the army and march to Garreg Mach monastery. The main army will surround and defeat the knights of Seiros. The Black Eagle Strike Force, consisting of the former students and professors, will be the ones that defeat the elite soldiers of the church. They are well prepared as they attack at the front of the monastery. Byleth confronts Flayne directly. The green haired girl seems upset, not really wanting to attack her former professor. Byleth strikes hard enough that the girl fears for her life and withdraws. Belle is to the left of Emperor Edelgard, Hubert, and the Death Knight, keeping the Knights in check alongside Ferdinand and Caspar. Belle encounters Sir Gilbert, however before he can begin his speech, she slices the redhead’s throat and he falls dead. Byleth walks past him without a second look. As the Professor and his team including Dorothea and Bernadetta move along they encounter Seteth upon his wyvern. The Sword of the Creator has no trouble with striking him in the sky as he attacks from his wyvern, Seteth is wounded to the point of removing himself from battle. Mechanical enemies appear, striking at anything that comes near them, they lurch awkwardly on uneven grounds, but they strike with an incredible and deadly force.

Rhea finally reveals herself, bringing along Thunder Catherine and Cyril as well as some large metallic monsters with strangely moving arms. The Empress strikes one of the golems with Amyr and it loses an arm. Hubert is casting dark magic at another that quickly puts it out of commission. Ferdinand and Caspar attack Knights of Seiros repeatedly, lessening the enemy’s number as more time passes. Belle is moving quickly, precisely impaling fortress knights on her sword, able to pierce straight through their armor until the tip of her sword is through the other side, then causing added injury as she pulls her sword back out of the profusely bleeding enemy.

Professor Byleth works his way toward Edelgard as reinforcement golems appear, but not before he injures Cyril, who retreats. Running down the center of the battlefield, Catherine presents herself to fight for Rhea. She may have her relic sword, Thunderbrand, however it is nothing compared to the Sword of the Creator as Byleth proves by beating her, however the blonde leaves before she can be finished off.

Finally, the Emperor herself faces off with Rhea. They exchange words about how the other must die. Rhea accuses Edelgard of being an enemy of the goddess herself. Edelgard maintains that she only made herself an enemy of the church, not of the faith. They strike viscously at each other. Suddenly with an unholy scream, Rhea turns in to the Immaculate One. In a deep and feral voice the beast cries out, “You will not be forgiven!”

The beast rears its head and strikes, the walls of the structure begin to fall around them. Hastily the Black Eagles Strike Force retreats as huge cracks open in the earth, swallowing up professor Byleth within them.

Rhea and the Knights retreat to Fhirdiad, the capital of Faerghus. The Empire announces its offensive against the Church, the kingdom and the alliance.


	4. Professor Hubert: Spymaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Searching for Byleth  
> Hubert teaches Belle about Spying and learns a little more about her than he is prepared for.   
> A few secret missions, friendships are solidified and five years have finally passed.

Early in the morning Belle sneaks off to the scene of the last battle. She is intensely curious about the steel constructs that were involved. Three heavily damaged mechanical monsters lay before her. She climbs up on the first and begins to disassemble the chest plates to peer inside the creations. She is completely unaware of this type of construction this world, never seeing such advanced technology here. The number of cogs and gears is astounding. Wires and pulleys are stretched throughout the interior. She follows the paths of the mechanisms, determining the use for each set. This series of mechanisms control the left arm, connected to this one that causes the hand to extend or pull forward while striking. The mechanics for movement are simple with three wheels under the body to control movement in whatever direction. At the end of each is magical sigils, each slightly different from the next. She removes multiple pieces from the interior, tossing them outside, enabling her to gain further access to the heart of the machine. She finally spies a carefully crafted box with a multitude of wires leading to it. Just as she reaches for it, a voice from behind her startles her, causing her to bang the back of her head against a random mechanism. She wriggles back out of the machine, standing on the side of the chestplate as she turns to face the dark mage.

“What are you doing here?” she snips at him.

“I may ask the same question of you.” Hubert asks.

“I am trying to figure out how these things work.” Belle huffs. “Being mechanical they do not react the same as living creatures, having no fear or sense of pain. They fight until they are destroyed or too damaged to move on.”

“Obviously.” He mutters.

“My apologies, I was so interested that I lost track of time.” Belle hops to the ground to stand alongside the brooding mage. “Let us resume our search for Byleth.”

The return to Enbarr is somber. They won the battle with the church, but they lost Byleth. He was nowhere to be found. Hubert and Belle remain behind at the monastery to look for him. Emperor Edelgard, the other former students and the army return to Enbarr. Edelgard needs to fully take her throne and rule Adrestia. Belle grieves for her best friend. Nobody could have survived that fall.

Three weeks have passed since the battle. There is no sign of Byleth or the Sword of the Creator. They sift through the rubble from sunrise to sunset. They climb the cliffs, the mages teleport to small ledges and openings to see if there is a path somewhere into the walls of the chasm that the contain Byleth’s remains. Hubert decides to call off their fruitless search. Belle packs up her belongings, Byleth’s most treasured items, salvaged pieces of the golems, and as much of the contents of what she had manufactured in the maintenance room, securing them onto several wyverns still remaining in the roost. Hubert marches alongside the ground troops, taking the remaining soldiers and his battalion back to Enbarr on foot. She offers a ride, however he respectfully refuses.

Belle is assigned a small room in the Imperial Palace not far from Bernadetta. They are both pleased that a friend would be close by. Belle has little use for personal items or embellishments within her quarters. The room holds a bed., wardrobe for clothing, and a storage cabinet for personal items. There is a weapons rack that takes up more space than the wardrobe. A small washroom is off to the side. She never entertained in her room and had no intention of starting now. For Dorothea or Ferdinand, this space would not suffice as a closet, much less a complete living space.

Belle’s workshop is located in the dungeons, close to Hubert’s laboratory. She relocates her equipment from the monastery here and is pleased to have much more access to raw and partially manufactured materials that will assist her with repairs, development of weapons and other items necessary for the espionage that she will be completing for Hubert. There are quite a few useful items she was able to salvage from the robots used in the last battle, most impressive was their power supply.

The Black Eagles Strike force becomes a bit more settled within the Imperial palace. Their location is far from the front lines of the battles that are now going on. The alliance and the kingdom are reeling from the declaration of war. Weekly war council meetings are held with everyone providing reports from their territories. Some are sent out to provide assistance in smaller skirmishes. Belle makes certain they all spar on a regular schedule to keep their fighting abilities in tip top shape. Seeing a rare opportunity, Belle corners Hubert and requests that he teach her the ways of the Spymaster. It takes a bit of convincing, however he finally agrees to teach her a few things and to send her on some missions.

Hubert introduces Belle to some basic disguises. Application of makeup, donning clothing that match the persona she is impersonating, showing outward ticks or movements to complete the role. They make a game of it for a few weeks. She dresses up to appear to be someone else, and he arrives at the market at noon. He has one hour to identify her amongst the patrons in the area. She also has one hour to tag him. Place something on his person without his noticing, dot him with a color, something to prove that she was close by him at one time or another. The first day she starts as a male, and he spots her within the first 10 minutes.

“Adams apple.” He points. He suggests covering the throat.

Second day female. He takes approximately 17 minutes. He identifies her by her scent.

Bell thinks this strange. What do I smell like anyway? Hmm. Bergamot, citrus shampoo and a distinct combination of oils.

Third day 35 minutes. She has successfully marked him by that time. She is dressed as an elderly male. Nice addition to hair inside the ears. Makeup excellent. Uneven gait and use of cane. Hubert advises, “You don’t smell male, or like an old male.”

“Hmm perhaps I should borrow one of your dirty undershirts.” She chuckles.

On day 11, she tags him two times. He does not identify her. She refuses to reveal her disguise.

Day 14 she is a streetwalker. He finds her 30 min in. It is difficult to try to tag him, he would not approach them until he knew for sure. She asks him what is it about her appearance that exposes her?

“Well, certainly your appearance would be appropriate for a courtesan, a street prostitute does not present that level of appearance.” Hubert provides his observation. “A bit of disheveling here, a tiny muss of the makeup there, and not holding your head quite as high would be more indicative of those of that station. Your appearance is closer to a paid escort for a noble that wanted to have a beautiful woman hanging from his arm for an evening twittering and cooing at his side.”

She nods. “I did consider dressing more to the surroundings. I had noticed these females quite a few times. Since talking with them while they are waiting for prospective customers, I did gain quite a bit of insight into their mindset.”

They go their separate ways and agree to meet back at the Palace to discuss the matter further.

After dinner, Hubert heads to Belle’s workshop to continue the discussion. Belle is working with several boxes containing different liquids with small bits of metal extending into them as if connecting them to the other, ending with the wires coiled together placed under an upside-down glass sealed at the bottom. She places a small piece of metal onto two ends, suddenly there is bright glow coming from the jar.

“What is our local mad scientist working on this evening?” Hubert inquires raising an eyebrow at the strange light.

“Slightly disgruntled scientist, thank you. I am working on providing enough light to continue my work. Candles and torches do not provide enough light to see some of the finer details in order to complete my research and experiments.”

“Magic spells for creating light are perfect. Why go through all of this?” He huffs.

Belle sighs, “Some of us are not equipped to provide the corporeal requirements for spellcasting.” 

“What sort of idiotic rubbish are you going on about.” Hubert scowls.

Belle stands, gritting her teeth at the insufferable man. She has had plenty and enough of him. She grabs his left wrist holding it up between them. He attempts to pull his wrist away, however her grip is like steel. He relaxes his arm, but if looks could kill she would be a pile of ash right now.

“Under these gloves are hands stained and corrupted by the use of dark magic, yes?” Her eyes are narrow, brow heavily furrowed.

“Years of use causes a few side effects, everything for my Lady Edelgard. What of it?” He scoffs, jerking his wrist free, but only after she loosens her grip.

“You are always after me for explanations for anything you deem to be different or odd.” She huffs.

Belle looks him in the eye as she raises the loose sleeve of the blouse over her left arm. She reaches inside grabs and pulls the leather glove down, removing it completely, revealing her dark gray arm beneath. Hubert’s eyes widen a bit. He has had his suspicions of strange things regarding her, however he had never truly seen her arm revealed such as this. She has gloves on 100% of the time.

She again reaches inside the sleeve and pulls down a thicker glove which was her skin a moment ago, carefully turning the material inside out, pulling it over her elbow, and down the forearm. Hubert’s eyes grow wider and wider as she pulls it past her wrist, removes it from her hand and fingers.

Beneath the skin-like covering the arm looks like a metallic life-sized ball jointed doll’s, complete with connections at the wrist and elbows. The fingers are also jointed like a wired figure. The doll like arm moves around, as if it is controlled by a strange and eerie magic. Belle holds her hand up between their faces. The hand spins on the wrist in a full 360 degrees and back again.

Hubert stands staring at the appendage, dumbfounded, grabbing his stomach as if queasy. She reaches inside the short shirt sleeve again, a clicking metallic noise occurs. She then pulls the arm out of the sleeve and places it on her workbench. She pulls the sleeve up to reveal a flesh stump that extends six inches from her shoulder. The end of the stump reveals metal pieces attached to the flesh that work in conjunction with the portion of the arm she just removed.

“Linhardt saw me casting healing spells a few times in battles, the glow of the magic emanates from around my elbows. Actually, it came from here.” She taps on the end of her left arm stump. “That is why I cannot use my hands to cast reason magic. Magic doesn't recognize mechanical replacements.”

If she were in a better mood she would say that the look on Hubert’s face is priceless. His head is shaking slightly while his mouth keeps opening and closing like a fish.

Hubert brings a clenched fist in front of his mouth and coughs into it. “Ahem. My apologies. I have forgotten an important appointment.” He mutters to himself as he rushes from the room.

Belle has not spoken to Hubert for several weeks. The first time she enters the room to join everyone for dinner, he excuses himself. Not wishing to cause him further inconvenience she refrains from taking meals with the others unless Hubert is away on a mission. Occasionally she receives correspondence from him, limited to items she should retrieve from his spies and what to do with the items.

Everyone else is behaving normally. Currently she is enjoying a cup of tea with Lady Edelgard, as they do from time to time. The Empress has always appreciated Belle’s work as the weapons instructor, now requesting that she train the special units and soldiers in the Adrestian army, then in turn they could provide instruction to the remainder of troops. The two women also enjoy sparring to keep their skills finely honed. The sun is shining brightly through the window of the parlor providing a welcome warmth to the pair as they are enjoying sweet treats and bergamot tea. Belle stirs a spoonful of honey into her tea as she listens to Edelgard speak of some recent shenanigans that Caspar has gotten himself into. The young man is a fantastic brawler as well as a great source of entertainment around the Imperial palace.   
“You know, Belle, I have not heard Hubert mention your name for quite some time. Usually he tells me of some activity you two have been involved in, but lately it is like I have hardly seen you two in the same room together.” Edelgard’s teacup is held in both hands as she looks over the brim at the redhead before her.

Belle puts her index finger to her chin, reflecting for a moment. “You know how our resident spymaster can be. He may have respect for your personal space, however the rest of us are at his whim and will should he require information. An awkward situation transpired recently, he obtained some information he was not, ahem, prepared for.” Belle coughs gently into her napkin. “Not that he would ever apologize for bursting into a room whenever he feels like it. I am sure once he recovers things will return to normal.”

Edelgard gives a knowing nod and takes another sip of her tea with a smile.

Belle is roused from sleep by an associate of Hubert’s, delivering a coded message. Belle reads the message then tosses the paper into the fireplace. She dresses in a flash, grabs the messenger nearly dragging them to the stables. She quickly saddles and mounts her black Pegasus, hauling the messenger up to sit behind her. Following their directions, they arrive within a few hours to the destination. A small house surrounded by swamplands comes into view. Belle circles around, scanning the area to see there are no persons present outside, she lands nearby the boarded-up building. Leaving the messenger outside with the secured Pegasus, she lights a small lantern, shoulders her crossbow, and approaches the abandoned residence. Once she has checked the front room by peering through the boarded-up window and around the shredded curtains, she pulls a few boards from the frame, exposing enough room for her to crawl inside. She retrieves her weapon and light source, revealing the room’s contents. Dust is thick on the floor and few furnishings are covered by cloths. Furniture pieces that are exposed clearly have been chewed on by moths and rodents, the stench of rodent waste and urine in the air.

She moves silently, listening as she proceeds through the rooms. The doors off the hall reveals more dust, discarded and broken furniture as well as further evidence of rodent infestation. Only one door is locked. She pulls out her lockpicks and quietly unlocks, then cautiously opens the door. There are stairs that lead down, a crudely dug tunnel is to the right of the landing, the hole emits a dim light. Musty and acidic smells rise from the cellar as she quietly descends. She steps to the side of the stair steps, closest to the wall, watching for any weaknesses or false steps to cause her to fall. This room below the house must have been part of the original construction. Shelves line the walls for storing vegetables and preserved items. The hole to the right is crudely dug, and she needs to bend in order to proceed through the rough tunnel. There are sounds coming from the other side of the tunnel, one of them human screams. Leaving her lantern at the bottom of the stairs, she enters the tunnel.

Belle quiets her breathing as she slowly creeps toward the end of the tunnel. Using a mirror fastened to a stick, she angles it at the floor and edge of the tunnel to spy on the room’s contents. She notes the back of two standing figures, and a third is seated. She readies her crossbow with two bolts and gathers a handful of throwing daggers. Leaping into the room she fires and strikes the two standing figures. The seated one turns and begins to cast a spell as two daggers end the incantation, blood is flowing freely from his throat. One on the floor moves and is struck by three more daggers as she runs over with a sword in hand to finish him. She stands in front of the source of the screams, Hubert. Her dagger now in hand cuts the bindings that are holding him onto a table leaning against the wall. The color of his skin is paler than normal. She lifts him under his arms and places him in the chair before he has a chance to slide to the floor. Pulling a vulnerary from a pouch at her waist, she opens it and forces the liquid down his throat. Hubert is sweating profusely, his eyes are dilated, pupils different sizes. She suspects beyond his injuries he is also under the influence of some type of poison or magic. He has thick black bracelets on each of his wrists. She attempts to wrestle them from him for a moment, then notices a small carving that may be a keyhole. Searching the bodies Belle finds an oddly shaped key that fits into the bracelets and she is able to remove them from his wrists. She locks them onto her belt, stashing the key.

Kneeling with her back in front of the shallowly breathing dark mage, she pulls his arms forward until he is piggy backed on her spine. She crawls on all four appendages across the room and through the tunnel. Staying hunched over she readjusts and balances him better on her back, looping the handle of the lantern through her pinky finger, the other hand holding his opposite hand to keep him higher on her back as she carries him up the stairs. Her legs are positioned wide, keeping to the far edges of the stairs. At the fifth stair up, the far board topples just as she is carefully placing her foot on it. Still balanced on two hands and the other leg, she reaches higher to the next step and manages to arrive back onto the main floor. Stopping, she listens for any approach, then moves to the door, unlocks it from the inside and carries him out to the waiting messenger and Pegasus. Carefully, assisted by the messenger, she lowers Hubert to the ground. Belle hands her two vulneraries and returns downstairs to search the room. She strips one of the torturers, he was an Agarthan. The other two are humans, she checks them for any hidden items. She also checks the rest of the room for hidden items, compartments or other odd structures. Retrieving her crossbow, she returns upstairs and outside. The two are able to lift Hubert onto the Pegasus’ back, even though he is now completely unconscious. The messenger does not recognize the poison or magic affecting Hubert. Belle mounts the winged beast behind the large mage, maintaining a strong grip on the man as she heads into the dark moonless sky toward Enbarr.

The sun has risen and has begun its descent to the other side of the sky as Belle wakes up in the quiet infirmary. She had been dozing after several hours of intense activity in the room had finally given way to waiting. She brings Hubert safely back to the palace and carries him to the infirmary as she notifies several guards on the way to awaken Manuela, Linhardt and a few other healers. Belle and Manuela remove his clothes, cleaning and then healing the multiple wounds across Hubert’s chest, back, arms, and legs. Belle produces the weapons found on the tormentors, none are covered in poison. The items stripped from the Agarthan did reveal a small vial that may have been the container for the poison. Linhardt identifies the poison by symptoms caused, color, smell and testing the tube’s small remaining contents with chemicals that Hubert has previously left instructions for use in order to determine the correct antidote. It is a tense few hours of teamwork, however the Black Eagles are always known to pull together into a very cohesive group when the pressure is on.

Hubert stirs. Belle notices and places her white gloved hand lightly on the upper center of his chest to prevent him from sitting up. Hubert groans, “That was rather unpleasant. “

“Manuela demands at least 4 additional hours of observation before you can be released.” She says as she hands him a glass of water. “You lost quite a bit of blood. Drink up.”

He takes the glass from her hands as she assists him to sit up. He takes a few sips. Taking back the glass, she touches his forehead and puts a finger to his jugular vein for a moment. She then proceeds to record the findings in the infirmary notes at the desk. She does not turn as she hears him shifting. “You are not dressed properly. Should you leave, your dignity may not remain intact. I will request a robe to be sent up for your eventual release unless you wish to make it a toga day by using the bedsheet. “

Hubert scowls at her.

“I will send for relief. Would you prefer Manuela or Dorothea to watch you?”

“No. This will do.“ he resigns.

Belle remains across the room, seated at the desk. An hour later Manuela returns to the infirmary. Belle reports on his condition. She then excuses herself to procure a proper sized robe and a cup of coffee for the patient.

Manuela reads the notes, and after a minute of waiting she walks over to Hubert. “You can stop pretending to sleep you grumpy asshole. What sort of spell have you cast on that girl anyway? She doted on you the entire time since she brought you in here in the middle of the night half dead from whatever someone did to you.”

The man simply grunts, shifting in the bed.

Belle returns within the hour. She hangs a large black mage’s robe behind the door and places a large carafe of coffee on the bedside table. Assisting Hubert with sitting up, she places an additional pillow behind his back for support. Removing the tea towels wrapped around the bottle to keep it warm, she pours him a cup of coffee, placing it in his hands.

“Don’t spoil him, dear” Manuela pleads. “He’ll expect this kind of service and more next time.”

Belle accompanies Hubert on a few of his covert missions, finally earning the privilege to be sent out solo. Belle has become quite the assassin in her own right having been educated by the Royal Spymaster and bringing her own knowledge and skills to the table. He no longer addresses her inability to wield reason or dark magic because, she has her own unique abilities that make up for it. She has also added a few weapons to his repository, specifically spring-loaded syringes that are capable of piercing armor and delivering poison deep into the victim.

“Hubert, I want to know if my service is sufficient.” Belle asks as they are brewing a particularly nasty poison.

“I would say your work to date is unobjectionable. Certainly, I could have managed many of these tasks more quickly had I attended to them myself.” Hubert states indifferently.

Belle stirs the green liquid with a wooden stick, checking the viscosity. “I intend to be of assistance. Surely I have at least freed up some of your time to allow you to concentrate on more important undertakings for the war effort?”

“Perhaps, by an unexceptional amount.” He drones, measuring a final ingredient to add to the concoction at the proper time. Belle steps aside as he adds the powder.

“Two more minutes precisely” He states.

She completes the concoction, picking up the beaker of boiling liquid with her hand, removing it from the heat, and placing the beaker on a heat proof surface.

“I shudder every time you do that.” Hubert mutters.

Belle gives a half smile. “It’s faster. Besides, you took away the towel and placed it over there. To retrieve it would have exceeded cooking past the two-minute mark.”

Hubert shakes his head.

Edelgard and Belle are having a late morning tea in the sunroom surrounded by greenery that has been brought over from Brigid. The lovely scent of bergamot fills the air along with blueberry tarts.

“How is your work with Hubert going?” the violet eyed woman asks.

Belle has a sip of her tea, “Agreeable I suppose. He does not complain much. Of course, he states he can do everything himself much more quickly and efficiently.”

The Empress laughs, “Of course. I have seen him more frequently within the palace these days. He has had tea with Ferdinand at least twice this week.”

“That is wonderful to hear. If I can take at least a bit of stress from him that would please me greatly.”

“Why do you wish to do that? Edelgard is looking straight into her eyes, trying to pick up any reactions or emotions.

“First, at this time we are not up to our ears in battle with little time to recover. The skirmishes are much further apart and less frequent. Therefore, everyone has been able to have some time of respite. Except for Hubert. His work in the shadows, gaining information on our enemies and of course protecting you, well, you know how little he sleeps. To him resting is being hunched over a stack of paperwork piled higher than his coffee cup. He constantly works himself into complete exhaustion. He barely eats enough food to keep himself upright. Hubert is an absolute health disaster.”

“You look like you are taking care of yourself. I hope you are. Do not let him talk you into some of his bad habits.” Edelgard points a finger at her teatime companion.

Belle scoffs. “You know, for all of the time I spent in the infirmary learning the intricate details of healing, I would say after Hubert that Manuela and Linhardt probably have some of the most unhealthy habits. All three of them will not hesitate ordering others to take care of themselves. The class leaders of do as I say, not as I do.”

“Agreed.” They both laugh as they clink their teacups together.

Hubert pulls out his pocket watch and checks the time, this being the fourth time he checks within the hour. One of his operatives is late reporting back to him. He should have received an encrypted message over five hours ago. Belle has earned the right to be sent on more dangerous and serious projects, this one being the deadliest yet as it is suspected that the Agarthans are involved. The location is close to Arundel’s territory. They have already lost one spy in the area. He sent Belle to identify the cause of the disappearance, and if necessary, eliminate the perpetrators. He can only estimate the time it takes to fly to the destination. Having left yesterday by 8am, traveling by Pegasus, she should have arrived by 8pm that day. He should have received a message regarding her arrival by now. 

Depending on her findings at the location, the time required there would be 24 to 48 hours before her 12 hour return flight. Hubert settles at his desk with yet another fresh cup of coffee. He would not be getting much sleep this night, wanting to be available the minute one of his messengers provides an update.

Shortly before the sun is to rise, he is alerted to a disturbance in the stables. A Pegasus had just returned with a barely conscious Belle on its back. She is ushered to the infirmary. Linhardt is awakened and arrives a few minutes after the patient. Hubert is already there. He stands over the woman, his arms crossed on his chest.

“What happened.” He orders her to speak.

“I…I had to get back, quickly.” Belle gasps. Her breathing is very labored and shallow.

“She’s very cold, her lips are blue, her body temperature is quite low. We should put her in a hot bath to warm her up.” Linhardt walks to the bathroom to prepare the water after his diagnosis.

“No!” Belle and Hubert say the word at the same time.

“Get warm blankets.” Hubert orders the healer.

“Why are her hands still warm?” Linhardt asks.

“It’s a condition…I have” she gasps.

“That is nothing I’ve ever heard of.” The healer snips back. “And I’ve read every medical book here at least thrice.”

Belle gasps. “Diagnosis oxygen deprivation. Hypothermia. Prevent pneumonia.” Each word is gasped between an attempted breath.

“Help me sit her up, Hubert. Stuff those pillows behind her.” The green haired healer leans against her back to listen to her lungs. “I don’t hear fluid buildup yet. We need to warm her. Heated stones covered with a blanket. Let’s get hot liquids in her.”

A few minutes later the scarlet haired woman is surrounded by magically heated stones and blankets and sipping on a hot cup of coffee.

Linhardt heads to the door. “Don’t call me if you need me.” He says before leaving.

Hubert makes certain the door is closed and locked. He sits at the edge of the bed. Belle pulls her knees to her chest, giving him more room to be seated. He looks at her intently and waits.

Belle is able to take a deeper breath or two without searing pain tearing through her lungs. Her cheeks and nose are red and chapped from the exposure to the cold air for so long. She takes a sip of the warm coffee and takes a few more measured breaths.

“Had to leave quickly. Arundel was alerted.” She begins, keeping it succinct. “Mission complete. Went to designated meeting point, Vera not there. She was missing nearly two days. Night observations revealed activity in town. Tailed them, out of their range of detection. Located base. Stayed in stable, left at dawn. Flew out. Loaded up and entered, ended two at the door. Nine room complex, approximately 20 feet below surface, three cells, 1 storage, three rooms with bed, two medical. Primarily skinwalker research. Eliminated all targets. All records brought back. Vera found, her mind was gone, she was full of holes from everything they took. She’s at rest. I blew it up. Crater now. Had to leave fast. Rain and weather bad, went over clouds, amazing favorable winds, but cold. Hard to breathe combined with cold disorientation. Stayed too high too long.” She is gasping for breath now.

“Well done.” Hubert whispers. “I was not expecting your return until tomorrow afternoon. Those must have been some impressive winds.”

“Probably should have stayed much lower in the troposphere, but the storms were so bad. Didn’t want to be struck by lightning.” Belle coughs a few times. “I know, scientific ramblings again, sorry.”

Hubert nods. He reaches for the carafe to refill both of their cups.

“I will provide a detailed report once I have been released. Also, I brought back documents for your review.”

Hubert stands and heads for the door. “I must secure them at once.” He says as he leaves.

The next morning, Linhardt has Belle cornered in the infirmary. He knows that Hubert is meeting with Edelgard for the next few hours, Manuela finished her shift, leaving to get some sleep. He stands in front of Belle with his arms crossed, staring intently into her eyes.

“You were almost never injured back at the monastery. No kitchen incidents, bee stings, animal bites. Very unusual.” The cleric starts.

“Certainly, I am not as careless as Caspar. I was the weapons instructor.” Belle responds aloofly.

“Felix was a sword master, he still got splinters. There was that time in the Sealed Forest when you were grabbed and thrown by that demonic beast. I saw you with my own eyes walking around and not a drop of blood on you.” He looks most disapprovingly at her.

“Yes, it grabbed me, my gauntlet saved my arm and it threw me into a bush. Minor scratches. I was very lucky.” She responds as she looks for her coffee.

“I’ve seen you cast healing spells, when you’re not attentive it is not emanating from your hands, but higher on your arms. And, you were cold enough to have your body temperature severely lowered. I must check you for frostbite. Please remove your gloves.” The green haired healer orders.

Belle waves her fingers in his face. “If they were frostbit, they wouldn’t be able to move like this.”

Linhardt moves behind a counter, picks up a large bucket of water, moving quickly at the woman. “Tell me why you are afraid of this?” He begins to pull back with the water, ready to heave it on her.

“Stop!” she screams her hands reaching out towards him. “Ugh, I will tell you.”

Linhardt puts down the bucket. “I’m glad you agreed to tell me. I would not have gone through with that. Violence, eghh.”

“Lock the door, swear you will not discuss this with another. And yes, Hubert knows.”

Unlike the obvious disgust and apprehension that was on Hubert’s face when she showed him her arm after her ‘skin’ was removed, Linhardt is completely enthralled. Grabbing it to look at from all angles, the hands and fingers being the most fascinating to him. She doesn't take the arm off for him. She tells him her legs are the same. Water causes damages if she has any tears in her 'skin'. That is the source of her fear.

“So this is the arm that the beast had grabbed, what angle was it bent to? How can you lift extremely heavy objects without destroying your spine and other bones? So if your skin was not on, you could actually reach behind yourself and scratch any itch ever, of course it would be more practical treating wounds and applying bandages but you would have nearly 360 degree range of motion, correct?” is amongst the thousands of questions that the green haired crest scholar is rapidly firing at her, not waiting for most of the answers. He finally stopped at his last question. “You will let me study you, won’t you?”

“No.” Belle said quickly. “I can’t. Not now. Not when I die. Never. Sorry.”

“At least this has answered a few questions. Like how you can withstand a strike from Dimitri without crashing to the ground and how Felix was never able to beat you.” He nods.

“Yes, revel in those mysteries of life now being solved.” Belle’s arm is covered once again, back to normal. Her mind anxious and distressed. Who else will see the monster beneath her skin?

Hubert is avoiding her, again. It is not to be surprised, the thing that she is. Not being completely human, she feels like an Agarthan skin walker, human only in appearance, what lies within is something purely made of nightmares. She is forced to stay at the Imperial palace for another three days, the fluid in her lungs is not quite clear. She spends the nights in her workshop when she cannot sleep. The days she fills with helping others. Training with Ferdinand, Petra, and Caspar, embroidering alongside Bernadetta, shopping with Dorothea. She gets trapped in the infirmary by Linhardt who either questions her without end or proceeds in his attempts to study her by poking and prodding her.

“Don’t you have crests to mull over somewhere?” She pleads gloomily.

Linhardt gives her a shocked look. “Why so sad? I find you absolutely fascinating.”

“Being this way, I am less of a person.” She replies with an air of discontentment.”

“But I feel this is an improvement. You have greater strength, endurance, speed and best of all there have been extremely few times that I have ever seen you bleed. It’s like you are one with a suit of armor. Yet you have a sense of touch, it is so engrossing. What type of magic causes this?” He asks, a look of wonder on his face as he is squeezing your arm feeling the mechanics below the skin.

“Science. It is all science. There is no magic from where I come from.” She answers hollowly.

“Truly fascinating” he hums to himself.

“As fascinating as a two headed snake or a demonic beast. Most would say a freak or an abomination.” She whispers.

Belle awakens in her room, rising with the sun to find that a note is slipped under her door. Hubert has invited her to tea. He has never done that before. Rather odd she thinks. Tea is at eleven. She has plenty of time to complete a few errands before then. Stopping by the kitchens she grabs a roll, fills it with fried egg and cheese. She eats while heading to the training grounds. She runs through sword, lance, and axe practice forms. She stops when she notes her heartrate is too high or breathing becomes too painful. No need to overexert herself. She walks to the market making a few small purchases and enters a consignment shop. Gently used clothing is for sale. This is a boon to her disguises, one can easily tell if certain clothing is new or has been worn a few times. It is also good to have items not at the peak of fashion, she wants a commoner’s appearance to her alternate personas. She drops in on the wigmaker to see the progress on a few she has commissioned. Two may be ready as soon as Friday. She also stops by a bakery to see if they have more savory treats. Hubert is not one for sweets, so she picks up a variety of different muffins. One sweet strawberry for Bernie, the rest cinnamon and spice for tea. She makes it back in time to freshen up and knocks at his office door precisely at eleven. Hubert bids her to enter.

“I hope you do not mind, I had been out and about and brought some muffins to enjoy with tea.” Belle says as she places the box on the other side of the teapot.

Hubert gestures for her to take a seat as he pours a barely brown liquid into the cups.

“May I ask why you have invited me to tea today? We both prefer coffee.” Belle asks, raising her eyebrows, hand on the handle of the teacup.

“I felt it is long overdue to raise your resistance to poisons. You are recovered fully from that last mishap I hope?” He asks as he raises his cup to his lips.

“Yes. I just started seriously exercising this morning. Taking a long walk through the Market certainly helped stretch my legs and lungs.” She replies lifting her cup to her lips, taking a deep sniff her nose crinkles. “Angelica. Ugh. Just when I thought I was free of him, I have to drink the tea that smells like him.” Belle raises her cup and takes a drink.

Hubert’s eyes widen a bit. He had not expected her to drink anything without a fight. “Really, not even a jest, grabbing at your throat and choking?”

Belle’s eyebrows furrow. “I trust you. You are my commander. You would not risk my life unnecessarily. If poisoning is what I deserve, then you have accomplished it, a job well done. If I am permitted to live, it shall be in the best interest of our Emperor.” She raises her cup to her lips, taking another sip.

Hubert pulls out a parchment. “Please let me know if you are feeling chills, upset stomach, nausea, numbness, nosebleeds, ringing in the ears, blindness or sudden instances of death.”

“Absolutely. Right now the only symptom is I don’t care for this damned tea.” She drains the cup in a non-ladylike manner placing it back on the saucer. “I suppose I should avoid riding, flying, operating heavy machinery, demon summoning incantations, and completing backflips while practicing archery?”

“Why would you do that in the first place?” he asks with a quizzical look to his face.

“It was a challenge for Claude. He performed quite well. He could complete the flip while using a bow, but he’s terrible with a sword.” She murmurs, one eye feels really heavy.

“Tell me what you are feeling.” Hubert orders.

She takes a deep breath. “A bit sleepy. Breathing normal. Pulse normal, relaxed. Temperature normal.”

He stands in front of her requesting her eyes to follow his fingers up, then down, up then left, center, up then right.

“The movement is making me a bit dizzy.” She alerts him.

Hubert sits making notes on his parchment. He completes a few paragraphs, occasionally looking up to see her reactions and conditions.

“Did you account for my horrific imperfections?” She asks, leaning a bit heavier on the table than a lady should. “I would be at best two thirds of normal body mass. Less tissue and blood to circulate through. Hah. Two thirds. Hah. I think I’m only half at best. Monster for the other half. I wonder what Felix would call me? Spider? Doesn’t matter I can wipe that smirk from his rude mouth.” Belle grips the table wide eyed.

“Belle, tell me what is happening. Symptoms.” Hubert orders gently.

“Vertigo increasing. Respiration rate elevating, pulse elevating, nausea. Temperature normal, however my face feels hot.” She closes her eyes, working on breathing exercises to keep calm. She sits very still, her hands folded in her lap.

Another few minutes pass. Hubert pulls out his pocket watch. “Belle, report.”

She exhales. “Nausea, vertigo continues. Respiration controlled, pulse slight elevation. Normal temperature. Face fine.”

“Difficulty breathing? Any numbness?” He asks as he makes further notes.

“No. Oh, I can’t feel my toes” She works into her exhale of her controlled breathing as she grins. Hubert frowns.

After three hours her symptoms slowly reduce to nearly nonexistent.

“Personal observations.” She comments. “As it was reaching its full potency, I felt incredibly chatty. Loose lipped? It was extremely uncomfortable. My apologies if I said something untoward.”

“No offensive comments noted except for some self-deprecation. Aside from your inability to use most magic, I would consider your attributes extremely useful and much more beneficial than having any negative connotations.”

“Thank you for the compliment.” Belle responds dryly. “If you have determined that I will survive my first dosage, I can take my leave and return to my quarters. I do not wish to waste your time when you could be accomplishing other more important things.”

“Actually, I have completed quite a few reports while monitoring your progress. I will monitor for an hour further and if you wish we can dine with the others this afternoon. I will advise the cooks to prepare several foods to counteract this concoction and assist with a quick recovery. Is there any food you detest?” Hubert asks.

“I avoid excessive salt and extremely hot-spiced foods. And Angelica tea.” Her nose crinkles at the last item.

Hubert chuckles lightly. “I shall alert the cooks, I will return shortly.”

Belle opens one eye to see his notes, however he has stuffed them away in a folder. She awaits his return without moving.

The tall ebony haired man returns with two cups of coffee and another stack of paperwork on a tray.

“Would you care for some coffee?” he offers.

“Thank you, much appreciated.” Bell smiles, taking the offered cup. “Due to several threats, while I was cornered and indisposed in the infirmary, Linhardt coerced me into revealing certain factors regarding my anatomy. Needless to say, he now is treating me like a laboratory rat. I presume it is necessary to have someone in the medical field be aware of my differences.”

Hubert nods. “Yes, I suppose that is acceptable.”

Belle gives a sigh of relief. She was not certain if Hubert would be angered as a result of allowing Linhardt this piece of knowledge. “If you will allow, I shall take my leave. Do you mind if I drop the muffins off with Bernadetta? I am certain she would enjoy them. Please do take one for later if you like.”

Hubert hands her the box and she departs.

Belle stops by Bernadetta’s room and knocks softly at the door. “Are you there? Do you mind some company?”

The violet haired woman opens the door and grabs Belle into a hug.” I heard you were sick! I went to visit you but you were asleep. I’m so glad you are doing better.” She gasps, giving the taller woman a bear hug.

Belle reciprocates the hug, a bit more gently. “Of course I am. It is nothing. I just overworked myself a bit. I’m just fine.” She pats the other woman on her back reassuringly handing her the box of baked goods.

They go inside and take their usual seats. Bernadetta picks up some needlework she is working on currently. Belle pulls the cape she is embellishing onto her lap. She is embroidering black roses on the edge of the dark gray fabric, just above the fur lining the bottom.

“Do you think I should put small roses at the edges of the collar? At least one on each end?” She asks her companion.

“Oooh, that would look nice. You really like black roses don’t you?” Bernadetta asks.

Belle tilts her head a bit, thinking. “Yes. I guess they have become my signature embellishment in a way. Dark and beautiful. Mysterious and dangerous.”

“Kinda like you.” Her friend giggles.

“Well, I use daggers to stab, not thorns. I have a lot in common with death in my roles of battles and being an assassin. I suppose it fits.” Belle lets out a long sigh.

“Let’s..um..change the subject.” Bernadetta noticing her friend appears to be a bit sad with this conversation. “So what do you want to do after the war?”

“I don’t know. This war is going to go on for quite a few more years. Well, part of it anyway. Once Fodlan is united under Emperor Edelgard, there are still so many enemies that are hiding in a multitude of places that will have to be dispatched. So while there will not be masses of soldiers on the fields, there will still be key battles dealt with on smaller scales that need to be completed.”

“You’re talking about the ones like Thomas, right?” the shy girl whispers.

Belle nods. “Battles in the shadows.”

The two sit quietly after that. The occasional snip of scissors is the only sound in the room.

Belle finishes another rose then puts her project away for the next visit.


	5. Back to the Monastery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunion  
> Battles and Bloodshed  
> End of the Fodlan War

Nearly five years have passed since the battle at Garreg Mach. Emperor Edelgard has finally found the opportunity to return to the academy, not only for strategic positioning for their next move in the war, but also to mark the promised reunion. The Black Eagle Strike Force and a large portion of the Empire’s army arrives a few short days prior to the anniversary. They spend the next few days clearing out bandits, restoring the facilities to a more useful functionality. The armies stay in the knight’s residences and nearby hillsides, cleanup of the damaged portions of the buildings has begun.

Emperor Edelgard is shocked to find Professor Byleth in his father’s former quarters. She brings him to the dining hall where the rest of the Black Eagle Strike Force is eating. The team is happily shocked as they welcome their beloved Professor who has been missing for five years. Belle gives her best friend a hug, having missed him dearly. Byleth can only tell them that he has been sleeping for all this time. They update him of their current situation.

Emperor Edelgard, Hubert and Belle have a private counsel with Byleth in what is now considered to be the war room. It is filled with tables and maps with pawns marking the current known location of enemy troops.

Hubert begins the conversation. “As you are aware, Solon and Kronya, served Arundel. Although it is foul to consider cooperating with their kind, their power is essential to us for the present time. We cannot topple the church alone. Arundel and the like are extremely hostile to the church, the enemy of our enemy is… well I think you sufficiently understand by now. Until Fodlan is united, this is a necessary evil. As for how we deal with them afterward… time will tell. We wish you to join with us. All of us regard that group as enemies of her Majesty and her family. They used her father, the former Emperor as a puppet, murdered her siblings with their vile experimentation. That is why this is a painful decision for her to make in joining with them. I implore you to fight as best you can for Emperor Edelgard.”

Belle solemnly nods at Byleth, and he agrees to join them.

Byleth enters Belle’s room after everyone has settled for the night. Byleth confesses that he has no idea what happened to him in the last five years, he feels like he only slept and woke up the other day. Belle informs him of the events that have transpired since his disappearance. The skirmishes between the Kingdom and their army. The fights with the Alliance are much less significant, mostly because they are torn between supporting and opposing the empire.

Belle shares Emperor Edelgard’s shutdown over the loss of Byleth, she refused to talk about him or discuss him in anyway. The rest of the former students were saddened, but it hit Edelgard the hardest, beyond herself of course. Belle hugs him tightly.

“Don’t every do that to me again. I don’t want you standing near a cliff for the rest of your life.” Belle scolds him, her eyes brimmed with tears.

“I had no control over it. How was I supposed to know that would happen?” The green haired male tries to explain.

“You left me with nobody to talk to. I was so desperate I made friends with Hubert.” Belle laughs.

“Hmm, so your type is tall, dark, mysterious males, eh?” the former professor jokes.

“My type?” the redheaded woman is confused.

“Nevermind.” Byleth changes the subject. “Want to go fishing with me tomorrow?”

The Empire’s next move is to capture the Great Bridge of Myrddin and defeat Judith, the hero of Daphnel. The motivation of the Empire’s army is so great that the encounter is hardly much of a battle, they force their way across the bridge and Judith is defeated quickly.

“We now have a foothold in the alliance. We will cross the Aramid river and push the front lines forward.” Announces Emperor Edelgard to the many soldiers cheering, celebrating what is truly the first victory in quite some time.

“I am glad to see everyone is so inspired.” Hubert comments to his Emperor. “It seems the reappearance of the professor has done much to raise your morale.” Is there a slight blush upon the Emperors cheeks?

She asks her right-hand man, “Do you not feel the same Hubert? Come now, be honest with yourself. We must take advantage of the situation and blaze ahead. Our path is still a long one.”

The dark mage nods as they head into the Emperors tent, planning the next phase of their war campaign.

At the War Council Emperor Edelgard speaks. “We have not had the opportunity to attack the capital of the Alliance, Derdriu. However, now that we have control of the Great Bridge of Myrddin, our situation has changed drastically. They can no longer expand their supply line into the Empire, and so we can finally attack Riegan territory directly.

Hubert advises, “House Riegan is not only Claude’s base, but also the flagship of those who oppose the Empire within the Alliance. If House Riegan falls, the other Alliance lords will be tripping over themselves to join us. We cannot fail to take Derdriu. We cannot ever underestimate Claude, they do not call him the Master Tactician for nothing.”

“So now we will eliminate the alliance so we can defeat the kingdom and the church” Edelgard finishes.

As the Empire’s army approaches the city, they are relieved to see that Claude has the foresight to evacuate the people from the areas that would incur the greatest amount of fighting. The battle would have to take place in the area of the Naval Port. The Alliance forces are strong, however the Empire’s forces are stronger. Claude’s units quickly lose a great amount of ground. Even the arrival of the Almyran elite wyvern warriors does not deter the Empire in the battle.

Professor Byleth and Belle encounter Hilda. Claude has a partial view of their position, Belle backs up, leading Hilda to move forward and keep the rest of the fight out of Claude’s direct line of sight.

“Professors, it’s been too long. But now we’re on opposite sides, huh? What a shame. I’m not going to hold back. I can’t let down my dear old Claude.” Hilda yells, then strikes with her axe.

Byleth takes her down with a single strike of the Sword of the Creator. Claude can only hear her scream and the sound of her body falling. He cannot see Belle, who is leaning over Hilda, healing her wounds enough to keep the pink haired girl alive, stopping her bleeding. Belle can hear Claude lamenting about his friend not retreating. The battle moves forward, Nader is defeated and that stops the reinforcements of Almyran troops and wyverns.

Professor Byleth and Edelgard face Claude and together they attack him. Edelgard recognizes that he is all but defeated. The three discuss options and the Emperor decides to spare Claude, in exchange for the ability to call a favor later. Claude bids them goodbye when Belle interrupts him. “Before you go, do you want to take this with you?” She holds in her arms an unconscious Hilda.

“Uh, Yes. Thank you so much.” Claude says as Belle lifts the girl, gently placing her in front of him on his wyvern. Belle whispers in his ear, “You owe me.” He nods.

With the victory in Derdriu, the Empire’s army marches triumphantly back to the monastery in order to heal, regroup, and to rest. Belle and Hubert are in her room, enjoying yet another one of his special poisoned tea parties. He pours the toxic Seiros tea into each of their cups. Belle blows onto her tea a little, taking a tiny sip.

“I have been meaning to ask, why did you put forth the effort to save Hilda?” Hubert inquires.

“As you are aware, she and Claude have quite a close relationship. It is never a bad idea to have Claude indebted to you.” She replies taking another sip.

“Why would you want that?” Hubert queries, taking a sip of his own tainted tea.

“Our dark enemies are not just in Fodlan. With his possible ascension to the throne of Almyra, it would behoove me to at secure free movement within their borders. I’m certain he will have some ridiculous request he will try to tack on to it.” Belle quickly pulls her napkin to her lips, trying to silence a very unladylike belch. “Pardon me.”

Hubert waves it off. “Expected. Side effect.”

Belle pulls out some needlework to work on while Hubert is monitoring her reactions to the poison she has just ingested and completing necessary paperwork at the same time.

“I see Bernadetta is rubbing off on you.” Hubert almost smiles.

“She is a lovely woman once you get past her anxiety. She has become a dear friend.” Belle offers a smile in return, going back to her needlework.

After a few minutes of writing, Hubert speaks again. “Have you many other friends?” he does not look up from his paperwork.

“Beyond the Strike Force? Not really. Even within the group Linhardt annoys me. The others I spar with them, dine with them, fight to keep them alive. I am thrilled that my best friend Byleth has returned. I feel like he is showing even more emotions than he has in the past. It’s quite lovely.” She finishes her tea.

Hubert nonchalantly asks, “You have feelings for him?”

Belle laughs lightly. “He is like the brother I never had. We were mercenaries together before we came here you know. We were the strange kids in the bunch. We’ve been best friends forever. I love him like family. But romantic? Hah. I am so happy for him seeing that he adores Ede..” She begins a bit of a fake coughing fit, however Hubert can see right through her.

“I have noticed a different reaction on his part towards her Majesty recently.”

“And I am sure you have seen our beloved Emperor’s face brighten when he enters the room. She was so happy when he returned.” Belle smiles wistfully.

Hubert returns to his paperwork and she returns to her stitchery until he finally dismisses her.

The spirits are high at the next War Council meeting. The Leister Alliance falls apart, the lords eventually join the Empire. They can now set their sights upon the Kingdom. They are advised that Lord Arundel has entered Derdriu relieving it of any artifacts he finds useful.

As they speculate entering the territories of the Kingdom, a message is delivered to Hubert. He advises that Rodrigue has met with house Rowe in Arianrhod, and now the combined forces of the Church and the Kingdom are headed their way. The Church and their Knights of Seiros know the area inside and out, and with its many hidden passages they are likely to be able to come and go as they please within the monastery.

Before they adjourn, they are notified that the Knights of Seiros are now attacking the monastery. Troops are disbursed to counter their attacks, trying to hold them back from gaining entry. Targeting the enemy is slow because of the abundance of trees and undergrowth in the area immediately to the north of the walls of the monastery beyond the road. As the Empire’s troops move forward, they see the Knights are bringing wood and flammable materials to the area, intending to attacking with fire.

Belle, Caspar and Ferdinand head to the front lines. Ferdinand can cover more ground on his horse, however the trees and low brush impede him at times. Belle cuts through the armor of the soldiers as if they are made of warm butter. What is not cut, is crushed by the force of her strikes. Caspar’s yells and screams bringing more Knights to their location and Belle is more than happy to take them down. Her new crimson blades pierce armored foes left and right. They reach an open area that allows Ferdinand greater range of movement, however archers are also able to fire their distanced attacks. Belle is well experienced with cutting arrows from the air as she leads Caspar toward the enemy. Glancing to the side she can see the Death Knight, Byleth, and Emperor are making good progress as well. Stopping behind a large tree, she casts Physic on Ferdinand whose lance has just now pierced an archer that is antagonizing him. They progress through the forested areas fast enough that the knights can no longer try to set fire to the woods. They dispatch all enemies on this side of the field and regroup with the Emperor and Death Knight as they approach Seteth.

“Trespassing on holy ground is a grave sin indeed, you must atone for it with your life!” Seteth accuses.

The Emperor responds with a heavy strike from Amyr. Seteth is struck down to the point that he must retreat. Hubert, Dorothea and Linhardt join them stating that Flayn was defeated, retreating as well.

“We’ve repelled the principal force of the knights and defended Garreg Mach!” The Emperor declares.

They return to the monastery, there is no major damage to Garreg Mach itself. The losses are heavy on both sides losing troops and the church losing generals. With Flayne and Seteth gone, the scales tip slightly in the Empire’s favor, enabling them to mark this as a victory.

Ferdinand invites Belle to tea in his room a few days after the battle.

“What is the occasion, if I may ask?” She asks as Ferdinand greets her at his door.

“Just a humble gesture to thank you for working so well during the last battle. I am quite impressed by your sword work. I have not had the opportunity to see you in battle so closely.” The redhead begins as he makes certain she is properly seated and settled prior to pouring their tea.

“Is that bergamot I smell?” Belle slowly takes in a deep breath. “How did you find out this is my favorite?”

“A gentleman should never tell.” He grins.

“I must commend you on your horsemanship. You and your horse are truly one on the battlefield. I don’t think I saw you take the reins in hand one time. Very impressive.” She smiles as she takes her cup in hand for a sip, the tea still being quite warm.

Ferdinand naturally brightens at the compliment. Then he asks, “Your swords, the blades have an unusual color. Initially I thought they were covered in blood, but when I had the opportunity to look closer, the metal appears to be scarlet, is that correct?”

“Yes. I feel that the bright red of the blade is very intimidating.” She smiles.

“Absolutely. They are nearly the same color as your hair.” Ferdinand chatters happily.

“It does nothing for the sharpness of the blade, the edge requires normal maintenance, however the red portion protects the remainder of the blade from damage, shattering and corrosion. I am still fine tuning the process.” Belle reaches for a tart.

“Simply fascinating.” The noble takes another sip of his tea. “Is there any particular reason for that color?”

“Adrestia prominently displays red in their banners of course. Perhaps it reminds me of my youth when I was a mercenary with Byleth. I was nicknamed the Crimson Blade for a while. Then we were recruited by the Knights of Seiros.” Belle reminisces.

“Ah. That was because of your red hair then? “ He raises an eyebrow.

“No. Because my blades were always covered in blood.” Belle states proudly.

“Oh.” Ferdinand hastily decides he could use a sip or three of tea.

In a secret war meeting they reveal a change in plans, before they take Fhirdiad they must take Arianrhod. This will enable them to invade the kingdom capital on two fronts, both from the south and from the east. Cornelia and Lord Rodrigue are located there, thus the city will be heavy with both troops and mages, certainly a very dangerous battle. It is rumored that Cornelia has suspicious magical weapons. An attack must be launched quickly before any spies can pass the word, even before their own allies are aware of the situation.

The Black Eagles head to the front gates of the Silver Maiden, the fortress built over 300 years ago that has never been successfully defeated. They are greeted by armored knights and mages. Hubert leads the attack taking out several with miasma, the Death Knight, slices an archer into two pieces, as Petra and Edelgard fly in on wyverns to attack the knights as well. Linhardt is healing from the back lines alongside Dorothea and Manuela. They move forward quickly and dispatch Rodrigue. Off to the side Caspar, Ferdinand and Belle engage the enemy. Petra yells that there is a mechanical lever that she directs Ferdinand toward. Caspar and Belle head the opposite direction easily cutting the enemies before them down. Belle is excited spying the Titanus on the other side of the wall. It is not long before she faces them with Caspar, Ferdinand joining just a moment later. They attack it with full force, taking it down with battalions and fierce attacks. They regroup with Edelgard and the rest of the Strike Force to face Cornelia. She is surrounded by several heavily armed fighters and dark mages.

Hubert casts Dark Spikes T and takes out one of the armored units. Byleth moves in and takes another out with his sword. Edelgard is the one that cuts down Cornelia as the battle ends.

Praising her comrades, Empress Edelgard triumphantly leads the Black Eagles Strike Force and the majority of the army back to Garreg Mach.

Belle volunteers to remain behind to keep the Silver Maiden secure, as well as performing some research on the Titanus. The Emperor is hesitant to allow her to stay behind, however with some surprising support from Hubert, she is allowed to stay. Belle waves goodbye to her friends as they march away from the fortress, then immediately runs to Cornelia’s quarters. Belle searches the rooms carefully. There are quite a few books on various types of magic, some of which may be useful to Hubert. She begins piling books into large stacks to move to her tent. Scouring the rooms, she’s checking for hidden places that the formidable mage may have hidden important items or documents. She finds quite a few vials with labels she can’t decipher. Packing them carefully into a small wooden box, cushioning them from breaking during transport she sets them with the books to be moved. The redhead picks through every section in the walls, moving bookcases, armoires, the bed, anywhere that could possibly contain a hidden passage. Her search expands to other parts of the fortress. Her diligence pays off, finding a hidden room with the blueprints for the Titanus. Schematics of their interior designs and assembly. This too is written in a language that she does not understand, but knows it is Agarthan. She can decipher much of the schematics and structure. Not only that, she finds tools and spare parts that appear to belong to the mechanical weapons. Packing everything, she has it moved to her tent outside where most of the army camp is located. High-ranking officers begin moving into the rooms of the fortress.

Edelgard’s Uncle Arundel suddenly appears at Garreg Mach. “Congratulations, Empress Edelgard on taking down the Silver Maiden. It would have been best had you informed us of your intentions, after all, I believe you knew that Cornelia was actually working for us and had intended on betraying the kingdom soon.

Empress Edelgard apologizes to him. “There appear to be rats in our midst and they are feeding critical information to our enemies. She apologizes for not informing him of their intentions sooner.

Her Uncle shakes his head. “Killing Cornelia was wasteful meddling on your part. Did you really intend to kill her?”

“No, of course not.” The Empress reassures him. “However, she was using terrible magical weapons. Giant dolls that she could move and fight with. Did you know about them, Uncle?”

Arundel scoffs. “If they are that powerful, wouldn’t it have been better to have her as an ally? If you are only capable of such imprudence this dark cloud might hang over the Empires future as well.”

“Thank you for your concern.” She replies. “I will sweep aside any darkness that may come our direction.”

Her Uncle urges her. “You should also be praying that the Empire will not become another Arianrhod.”

Edelgard looks shocked. “Just what do you mean by that?”

“Unfortunately, I must take my leave.” He replies, leaving quickly.

As Arundel leaves, Hubert runs to the Emperor. “Empress Edelgard, I have some shocking news. We have been advised that pillars of light have rained from the skies and have impacted Arianrhod.”

The Emperor demands his full report.

Hubert continues. “It was definitely some type of magic, perhaps another one of the Agarthans forbidden arts. Pillars of light appeared from a far distance in the skies, striking and exploding, destroying the main building and north wall. It is believed that all of the key people in house Rowe were killed. Of the Imperial officers and troops kept there, at least one third are unaccounted for. “

Edelgard gives him a slight look of disbelief, “It can’t be true.” Then her thoughts turn to anger. “This is my Uncle’s trump card. His retaliation for striking down Cornelia, he has destroyed Arianrhod!”

“Perhaps we acted too quickly disposing of Cornelia.” Hubert contributes.

“No, we’ll be fighting them soon.” The Empress responds, “There is no disadvantage in weakening their forces. They have shown their hand. Could this have also caused Ailell?”

Hubert responds. “Yes. Javelins of light were have to fallen from the sky there. History says it may have been the work of the goddess. Now it is revealed it was actually an attack by those who slither in the dark.”

Edelgard nods. “By gifting us this knowledge, those who died at Arianrhod will not have died in vain.”

“I recommend controlling this flow of information.” Hubert comments.

Belle, with tools in hand, works to disassemble the Titanus. She opens them searching the center most sections, finding their power source. Strange glowing stones wired together with several different crest stones attached. As she is removing the third power housing from the last Titanus, she is thrown from the robotic monster by a huge explosion. The ground below her feet shakes like an earthquake as she sees a bright flash of light strike not twenty feet away from her, piercing cleanly through the stone and metal of the fortress. She has little time to think, running for her life to the edge of the building. More spears of light rain from the skies. The fortress appears to be falling in on itself. She jumps over the edge of the wall, falling 30 feet and rolling multiple times before she finally stops, her body motionless on the ground. She is unconscious and unaware of the nearly complete devastation caused to the building she was just standing upon.

She awakens in the middle of the night, still lying on the ground. It is difficult to breathe, she has probably broken a few ribs in the fall. She looks at the fort, or what little remains of it. The entire northern part of the structure is not only leveled, but the spears of light had created a crater 20 feet into the ground where they struck. The skies are filled with smoke from the fires that are burning in and around what little remains of the structure. She sits up and assess her damages and injuries. Besides the pain throughout her entire back and ribs, as well as her left shoulder, her body is intact. Her left arm is bent, range of motion limited to approximately ninety degrees, and limited rotation. She must have landed directly on her shoulder and elbow when she fell. She carefully maneuvers to get onto her feet. She can walk, albeit slowly. Gritting her teeth through the pain she makes it close enough to the camp where she is finally spotted and assisted by a pair of soldiers that escaped serious injury from the explosions. They help her into the medical tent that is filled with other injured soldiers. She is seated on a bench, all cots are full. A cleric arrives to assist her. They instruct her to remove her blouse, she refuses. She unbuttons the front and lets them pull it up to reveal her back. They clean the multiple scrapes and cuts on her back and heal the fractured ribs the best they can. She fastens the buttons of her tattered blouse, exiting and heading directly for the command tent.

Entering the tent she speaks with the highest ranking officers. No generals survived, having taken housing inside the fort. The two majors in charge are quite aware of her rank, a member of the Strike Force. Her orders are to be treated as if they come from the Emperor herself. Belle instructs them to pack and ship the contents of her tent to Garreg Mach as soon as possible. She requests a list of all soldiers that were killed and encrypted messages for the Emperor and Minister Vestra detailing status of everything to that point. She is provided with food and clean water, given a clean cot in the officers’ quarters and will be awakened at dawn, a cleric will address her wounds before she takes a Pegasus to Garreg Mach. Collapsing in the cot she sleeps until dawn.

The Black Eagle Strike Force is gathered together. Empress Edelgard begins, “I’m sure everyone has heard about what transpired at Arianrhod. The Church used weapons to kill many of those there that we had left behind, including house Rowe, the Imperial army and many, many, more.”

Hubert continues, “As per our investigation, the forbidden attack that destroyed Arianrhod cannot be used again so quickly, still we cannot delay our efforts. We must move even quicker. The leader of one of the Imperial factions has already begun attacking Fraldarius territory. Soon all obstacles blocking our path to Fhirdiad will be removed.

“We must move quickly.” Edelgard urges. “Next we march through the Tailtean Plains, after that we destroy Fhirdiad. At that time complete Imperial control over Fodlan will finally be a reality.”

The healer arrives at sunrise. Belle’s wounds are cleaned, healed and bandaged. She ignores the strange looks on their face, questions they want to ask on their lips, their only answer is a scowl that insures their silence. She turns over on the cot, raising herself to a seated position. She demands a new shirt and pants. Belle approaches the majors and receives a saddlebag with information for the Emperor. They provide her their last Pegasus to enable her to return to the monastery. Before she leaves, Belle returns to where she fell, retrieving her missing items that fell as she had tumbled down the hill after leaping from the wall. Heading to the skies she returns to the monastery. She lands outside the front gate, she is recognized and allowed entry. Taking the steed to the stables, she leaves it with a woman who is tending to the horses. She runs, even though it makes her lungs burn, her chest screaming with every breath as she heads to the war room. She stops at the bottom of the stairs to catch her breath as she slowly climbs the stairs.

Belle knocks on the closed door, she had heard voices coming from the room as she approached.

Hubert opens the door, “Who dares-“

Belle burst through the doors, throwing her arms around him in a hug, then rushes to Edelgard who is already halfway over to her for a hug of her own.

“Belle! I am so relieved!” Edelgard cries, not letting the redheaded woman go. They stand hugging each other, resting their heads on each other’s shoulder for a time.

Belle finally stands back, releasing the Emperor. She hands the saddlebag to her. “Reports from the majors that are currently in charge. The generals had moved into the area that was heaviest hit.“ Belle recounts her experience at Arianrhod regarding the falling spears of light and describes the devastation of the fortress. Finally, she excuses herself so that they may go over the reports that she brought.

Heading downstairs Belle walks to the dining hall. She is two steps inside the door as she hears a crash. Byleth drops his tray and runs over to her, grabbing her in his arms and spinning her around.

“Belle! I knew you would make it! I knew it!” Byleth sighs into her hair.

They are quickly surrounded by the remainder of the Black Eagle Strike Force, everyone is thrilled that their team is whole again. After many hugs and happy greetings, they finally allow Belle to get some food. Once she has eaten her fill everyone is crowded around her to find out what had happened. They are shocked at the amount of devastation. The elation of their friend having returned is replaced by the somber overwhelming feeling of loss at the devastation that occurred at the location that had fought so hard to win.

“I want to discuss this further with you, however I have an appointment to get to.” Byleth says when it is just the two of them at the table.

“It wouldn’t be tea with a certain friend of ours, would it?” Belle asks slyly.

Byleth doesn’t respond but the pink on his cheeks speaks volumes.

“I need to get cleaned up and back in my own clothes. I will speak with you later, much later I hope” She grins as she heads to her room.

Belle finishes washing up, putting her hair in a long braid down her back and putting on a long white blouse, long black gloves and an ankle length skirt. Just as she heads down the corridor, Linhardt emerges from his room to walk with her.

“I heard you were injured. I should check on you.” The green haired healer says.

“Fine. Let’s go to the infirmary.” She shakes her head as they continue on.

Sitting on a stool facing away from him, Linhardt is palpating the muscles all along her back. “Hmm. I see.” He mumbles to himself. “Raise your right arm for me. Down. Now the left. Okay.” After cleaning a few scrapes and cuts he casts a few healing spells causing much of the bruising on her left shoulder to disappear.

“Happy?” Belle frowns.

“Curious actually.” Linhardt says, his chin held within his hand.

“Fine.” She frowns. She straightens her clothes then beckons him to follow her. She leads him to the maintenance room that she has claimed for herself as her workshop.

When she opens the door, he follows, wide eyed. He flits from project to project, poking a finger here, examining a strange item there. Before she has a chance to warn him, he yelps from a sudden electrical shock received by touching a wire.

“You need to be careful. Messing with things you don’t understand is very dangerous.” Belle warns him.

“This is all so interesting. I can’t believe you finally let me see this. I find it all incredibly fascinating.” Linhardt is back to touching things that he probably should not until Belle grabs his arm and pulls him over to her work bench.

“When I fell, I landed on my left side and my elbow sustained some damage. I can fix it myself, however with an extra hand I should be able to get the work completed faster and more efficiently.” Belle looks over to him.

“Of course, happy to assist.” He half smiles, excited to see what he can discover while helping.

Two hours later both of them are leaning over the work bench. All of the protective plates are removed from Belle’s left arm as Linhardt is holding steady the removed appendage while Belle is soldering a connection between two wires. Using tweezers with two wires attached to a scavenged power source from a church golem, she places a thin stick of metal onto two wires. A bright light flickers as the electric current heats the lead solder, causing it to melt and surround the ends, restoring the connection between them.

“This is not unlike healing of a sort, reconnecting the tissues and nerves together in order to restore functionality and movement.” She comments.

“Of course. This is a much simpler scale.” The cleric nods.

Once the repair work has sufficiently cooled, she engages the arm into its socket, putting it through different movements, testing the functionality of the fingers, range of motion and grips. Satisfied she begins to replace the access plates, Linhardt screwing them in from the other side.

“That was enlightening.” He comments.

“Now I have to repair my skin, I have both hands now if you need to go somewhere. Thank you for your assistance.”

Linhardt thinks for a moment. “I have a few more minutes, I would like to continue to watch if you don’t mind.” His voice sounds tired, yet still filled with curiosity.

Belle takes a small bellows that is connected to a funnel. Wrapping the end of the arm sleeve around the funnel, it is tightly stretched around it. Belle reaches for two bottles, shaking them both. The smaller bottle contains a thick white liquid, the larger contains a clear liquid topped with bubbles now that it has been shaken. Pumping the bellows, the sleeve inflates like a balloon shaped like her arm. Moving the bellows slowly to keep a bit of pressure on it, she dips a fat brush into the bubbled liquid, spreading it over her ‘skin’, watching as tiny bubbles erupt in several places. She dips a pointed stick into the white liquid, dotting the location of the bubbles. Tears are easy to see and she marks those as well.

She reaches into a box where she pulls out two different containers of powder and grabs a large bottle from a shelf. Measuring the powders into the syringe, she then adds the liquid, causing the powders to bubble furiously. She inserts a special attachment into the syringe with a screen like metal protrusion into the barrel, using that to stir the liquid until it thickens, then finishes attaching a needle to the body of the syringe. Returning to the ‘skin’ she sticks the needle into each of the holes, slowly injecting the liquid as she pulls it back out. Waiting a moment, she then wipes down the skin with the liquid, making the surface smooth.

“That should give it a good watertight seal again.” Belle says looking at her work. “I would be arrested at home for having so many white spots on my skin.”

“But you are here, you could just paint the whole thing the same color and not show any scars.” Linhardt comments offhandedly.

Belle looks at Linhardt in shock. “You sir, are a genius!” She shouts as she slaps him on the back.

This jolts the cleric on his seat. He yawns sleepily. “Before you try to wake me any further, I’m off to my nice comfy bed. Have fun.” He mumbles as he heads out the door.

Belle excitedly knocks on Bernadetta’s door. “Bernie, are you up?” She whispers into the crack.

The violet haired woman opens her door. “Sure. I was just doing a bit of writing…”

The redheaded woman is practically vibrating with excitement. “Oh Bernie! You have to teach me how to paint!” She is practically jumping up and down with excitement.

“Well…yeah…but…it takes a while to get any good you know. Maybe I could paint something for you if it’s not too complicated?” The shy girl asks hesitantly. “What do you have in mind.”

After a long slow conversation that goes well into the night, Belle feels a bit guilty, however she weaves a tale of half truth about the ‘special gloves’ that she has to wear and asks the talented artist if she will help her paint them to look more natural.

“So that’s why you always wear gloves no matter what. I’ve seen you wear gloves on top of gloves too.” Bernie says.

Belle nods. “I don’t know if I could ever feel comfortable with my ‘skin’ showing, but what if I wore lacey gloves and looked more like everyone else? It would be so exciting!”

Bernie coughs into her hand. “Um, would you let me see what we are working with?”

Belle sits across from her friend. “You can’t freak out. Promise me you won’t. “

“Ummm…I’ll try my best.” Bernadetta sits with her eyes closed, counting through a few rounds of calming breaths.

“Keep your eyes closed. Keep breathing.“ The redhead reassures her friend as she lowers the top of her leather glove on her right arm. Just to below the elbow. “Ok, you can look.”

Bernie opens her eyes. She was prepared for the dark gray color like Belle had described, even the lighter marks where the gloves had been repaired. But she thought they would be made of leather or cloth. “This kindof looks like skin. I mean, you don’t have hairs like my arms, but I think this would paint pretty nicely. We’ll need to put down a light base coat. If you coat it with a white, then the color we put on top should look pretty good.”

Belle grabs her friend in a huge hug. “Thank you, thank you so much!”

The next battle is anticipated to be on the Tailtean plains. The very same place that Seiros had defeated Nemesis over 1000 years ago. The ultimate goal is Fhirdiad, however the enemy will probably meet them on the plains to prevent the capital from being cut off and starved out. 

At the plains they see the flags of the Kingdom’s army, Dimitri is leading the troops himself. The Knights of Seiros have not been spied yet. The rain is falling hard on the plains. Byleth warns us to watch for attacks from not only the side but also reinforcements coming from the rear. The Kingdom’s army is setting to intercept them.

As they get closer, Edelgard makes an announcement.

“Leave no enemy general alive, least of all king Dimitri.” The Emperor declares.

The Empire’s army runs onto the battlefield with yells and screams. “For the Empire! To Victory! Death to the kingdom!”

Belle is directed to the east with Bernadetta backing her and Caspar. Sylvain is here alongside a couple cavaliers and a heavily armored knight. Sylvain and the other horsemen charge directly at Belle. Bernie is firing arrows as they come closer, knowing she must stop when the redheaded woman engages them. Crimson blades flash from the lightning in the skies as the first rider is thrown from his horse who was gravely wounded, Belle striking the equine’s chest. Sylvain follows with the Lance of Ruin, however she is able to block it as his horse’s momentum takes him past her. The rider that was dismounted engages her toe to toe, only to have his throat sliced within seconds, his blood falls like the rain surrounding them. Sylvain turns around to make another pass. Belle sheaths one of her swords, having a hand free at his approach. Her blade raised to counter his lance attack. Gautier swings from on high, missing, then pulling his lance up, trying to catch her on the upswing. Belle grabs the lance and jerks, pulling him from the saddle of his horse. Sylvain gets back on his feet quickly, still wrestling with Belle for control of the lance. She swings her sword precisely at his neck cutting his throat as he falls and bleeds out on the ground. Stepping over his body she moves to the final cavalier that is heading toward her lance aimed at her chest. Caspar is close by, fighting the armored knight and had just landed a successful hit when the knight turns away briefly. Suddenly there is smoke all around, the knight enveloped in the blackness as giant legs and arms extend out from the thick black vapors, the knight has changed into a demonic beast. The sudden appearance of the beast is enough to throw the steed of the cavalier into confusion, rearing up and throwing its rider, Belle quickly ends the enemy’s life as Caspar withdraws back to her side. Bernadetta quickly sends her battalion to assault the beast with arrows, keeping it busy while her allies regroup. They work together to finish the beast leaving the body of the knight as the only remembrance.

Appearing on the battlefield are reinforcements, this time the Knights of Seiros appear along with several metal golems. To add fuel to the flames, Seiros herself is on the battlefield. Byleth, Edelgard and Hubert are now heading their direction, ready to assist with dispensing of the Nabatean.

“The rain is the lamentation of my mother.” Seiros mourns. “And now I face the one that wields the same sword as Nemesis. You will die in torment by my sword!”

Belle strikes at the Archibishop, she is fast, fast enough to move out of the way. Only a cut on her forearm is visible.

“It bleeds. If it bleeds it can die.” Belle curses triumphantly.

Byleth strikes hard and true with the sword of the creator. Seiros is severely injured and is removed from the battle by the soldiers surrounding her. Her other reinforcements also leave. Now they must finish the kingdom’s forces.

Just as the group gets in range of another knight turned crest beast, Dedue holds up a crest stone.

“I will avenge your father!” Dedue proclaims. “Dimtiri! You are the one true King!” he says, then is transformed into a giant heavily armored crest beast.

The Black Eagles Strike force uses their combined efforts fighting the Beast that was Dedue. It is strong and very difficult to cause damage to. After repeated strikes to the same area of its stomach do they crack through the armor and finally kill the beast. Now only a few other warriors stand in their way of defeating Dimitri.

Belle and Caspar easily take out an armored knight to the left while Ferdinand and Petra take one out to the right. Edelgard and Byleth head straight for Dimitri.

“Edelgard, I must kill you. You will regret all those you have taken from me. My father, Glenn, Rodrigue. You even murdered my stepmother, your own mother!” Dimtri bellows as he moves forward to attack her.

Edelgard calls out, “Farewell, king of delusion!” and she raises Amyr, swinging straight and true, causing Dimitri to fall. Professor Byleth then finishes the man.

On the way to Fhirdiad, Arundel appears and speaks with Edelgard, then disappears again. Belle only hears part of the conversation. Arundel wants to witness the death of Rhea. Edelgard tells him not to get in her way. Arundel is gloating over the fact that Fodlan will be completely controlled by the empire. Edelgard asks for his assistance as things need to settle and he agrees to lend their aid for a short while.

The Imperial army finally arrives in the heart of the Kingdom. Rhea is well prepared and has already transformed into the Immaculate One. Edelgard stands before her enemies and gives them a last chance to throw down their weapons and surrender. They are in a kingdom without a king.

In response, Rhea orders her knights to set fire to the city. There is smoke coming from every corner of the capital.

Edelgard gives the order to attack immediately. The strike force divides into two teams to fight their way to the beast that is Rhea. They all work quickly and are able to slay one of the mechanical monsters fairly quickly.

Rhea howls. “The immaculate roar saves only the righteous! Graaaaarrrrrrrgghhhh!”

Linhardt notices that the howl created a huge force of magic. The mechanical dolls have become stronger.

  
Hubert’s miasma spells quickly takes the golems out in his path. Edelgard and her amazing strength finishes them and any heavy knights that dare to come near them. Caspar with the axe of Zoltan is unstoppable. Belle’s absolutely precise strikes are able to pick out any failure or weakness in the enemy’s soldiers, crimson flowing along the streets of the capital. Bernadetta and her battalion is raining arrows down on any person in Seiros’ army they can reach. Ferdinand’s lance is full of gore as he sends another of the enemy to meet their maker. Petra swinging her sword from the back of a wyvern is beautiful. They must watch from all directions as Pegasus knights appear behind them quite frequently, but they march on, knowing this is the final battle, the final chance to end all of this.

Hubert moves steadily forward with his battalion, causing Catherine to fall from his Dark spikes. The Imperial army is gaining momentum as Rhea’s allies fall one after the other. Finally the only living enemy is Rhea, the Immaculate One, who is screaming and cursing in the center of the city. The Strike Force surrounds the foul beast, attacking it from all sides. Green blood flows from multiple wounds as the beast roars in pain. Byleth makes a critical strike at the throat of the dragon, followed by a fierce and deadly strike from Amyr, the Emperor causing the finishing blow to the beast. The roars are wimpers now as the beast lays its head down on the ground and dies.

At that very moment, Byleth falls to the ground. Edelgard reaches to him, checks and finds he has no heartbeat. He is not breathing. She cannot stop herself from bursting into tears, soaking the chest of her beloved teacher.

Byleth’s hair color darkens, changing back to the darker blue. Suddenly his chest heaves as he breathes in air. Edelgard lays her head on his chest.

“His heart. It’s beating! He’s alive!” She gasps with astonishment.

Linhardt checks Byleth. He indeed is alive, and has a heartbeat, however he is extremely weak after this transformation.

The empire gathers their troops together, preparing for their triumphant return to Enbarr. The war has been won.


	6. Battling Those Who Slither in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The War against the Agarthans Begins

Hubert chooses to remain in Fhirdiad for some time. Belle accompanies Emperor Edelgard, swearing to protect her with her life. There are no attacks on the Empire’s army as it returns to Adrestia and finally to Enbarr. Bells are ringing and people line the streets as Emperor Edelgard returns victorious. An impromptu but welcome sight for the Black Eagle Strike force. They return to the palace and begin to get settled, the battle now begins in the form of paperwork, laws, rules and rebuilding the country that has been devastated by the war.

Hubert returns to take his place as the Minister of the Imperial Household and the Imperial Spy Master. Returning to his duties he catches up on stacks of reports from his spies. He slides a note under Belle’s door ordering her to report to him immediately upon her return.

Belle knocks at his door and is beckoned inside without hesitation, at 4:03 in the morning. She is wearing solid black clothing, carrying 4 swords and 5 visible knives and daggers along with several other weapons of her choice. There are greasy black marks under both of her eyes. She bows before the dark figure who is penning yet another letter at his desk. She stands silently and waits until she is acknowledged.  
Finishing his letter Hubert deposits his quill back into the inkpot. He gestures for her to take a seat. “I’ve seen multiple reports lately of a vigilante of sorts in Enbarr and the nearby towns.”

The woman simply watches him continue to straighten his desk.  
“What exactly were you doing for the past six hours.” Hubert leans back in his chair, his hands folded in his lap.  
Belle produces a sheet of parchment with 12 locations and times. Each line is crossed out.  
“I am entirely aware of all of the duties that you performed at my request. I had assigned 7. Yet there are 12 on this list. Elaborate.”  
Belle does not hesitate, “Emperor Edelgard places a high priority on the rebuilding of cities after the war. Although Enbarr itself was not directly involved as a scene of particularly heavy battles, still there were attacks and acts of terrorism that occurred calling for rebuilding here. Occasionally I find it necessary to ensure that the rebuilding is moving forward. I only include this work if it does not interfere with my scheduled duties.”  
“Well now. We have reports of a red-bladed vigilante protecting the people from thieves and whatnot. You would not happen to have any information regarding this?” Hubert’s hand comes to his chin as his eyebrows raise ever so slightly.  
“I can only say that the rebuilding is continuing without delay and without interference of thieves and those whose intents and purposes do not align with that of the Emperor. If there is nothing else, I will see you again at eleven.“ Belle stands and turns, heading to the door.  
Hubert hides a smile under his hand as he spies that one of her scarlet blades is not completely within its sheath on her back. “I will see you then.”

“Byleth did what?!” Belle nearly sputters coffee all over herself and the small table in Hubert’s parlor.  
“He has proposed to Emperor Edeglard and she has accepted. I should not have to repeat myself.” Hubert frowns.  
Byleth is her best friend. They talk everything over. She knows he has feelings for Edelgard, but he didn’t consult her about this. She is going to have some words with him right after this. Belle stares off into space as she continues to mull this over in her head.

“The wedding will take place in four months. After that I think we should completely focus on taking out Those that Slither, agreed?”  
Belle comes back to focus on Hubert. “Yes. It is time.” She nods.  
“Then we will find and destroy the remaining factions in Fodlan” he continues.  
“They are quite active in the Arundel territory. Once Thales is removed, we can then remove them. Ordelia has a small contingent that must be destroyed as well.” Belle offers.  
“Precisely.” The dark mage acknowledges.  
“The sooner we take them out, the better.” Belle comments. “They are regrouping. It is only a matter of time before they will rear their ugly heads again. If we can take them out before the wedding, I would feel it be less of a target. What is delaying our leaving right now?”  
Hubert says quietly, “We have our suspicions as to their exact location, however it is not enough. We need to know precisely. “  
Belle responds, “That should be my objective then. I can leave immediately.”  
Hubert interjects, “My spies are working on this and are making progress.”

“It is taking too long.” Belle retorts. “Already they are plotting, gathering strength. Besides, I was made for this.” She says defiantly as she crosses her arms in front of her.  
He frowns and looks away, “Let me think on it. “

Belle glides through the darkness of the early morning skies on her Pegasus, heading for Hrym territory. They left two hours before sunrise. Hubert will be furious, however he is not her keeper. She arrives just after mid-day, secures a room in an inn, takes food to her room and rests. Dressed as a white-haired widow, she’s come to find relatives that were known to live in the area. She goes to the city hall where she hopes to find her relatives. She goes through records of land purchases, titles and deeds. Fortunately, the keepers of records have little interest in what she is doing and leave her to her own devices, which allows her to have access to records having nothing to do with her cover. She returns to the inn well before dark, takes dinner in her room and retires.

As the sun sets across the mountains she leaves via the window of her room, armed to the teeth and clad entirely in black. Now begins her true reconnaissance of the area. Taking to the skies on her Pegasus, she watches the village intently, searching for possible suspects. There are three possibilities she notes from the city records. The second residence proves fruitful. She spies a single figure exiting the residence, then disappearing, reappearing 1500 feet away. They appear to be warping in a straight line. Once she records the final warp point before they disappear from sight, she identifies a small clearing close, but not too close, in order to land her steed. She steps quietly through the woods toward the last warping point. Pausing a mere two hundred feet from the location she stops. Listening carefully, there is a high-pitched whine heard nearby. Machinery, gears and mechanical sounds hum coming from the hillside that is before her. Her blood sings. She is close to fulfilling her purpose. Unfortunately, tonight is not the night. She takes a deep breath, pulling herself back into the shadows of the night. She constantly casts her sight about, being discovered at this point is not an option. She returns to her steed, flies low over the trees, heading over the mountain. Agarthans love machinery and dark magic. Between the weapons of war and the toxic exhaust of their machinery, the world she came from was ruined. 

She flies in the opposite direction from where she approached. She cannot risk going back and retrieving anything from the inn. There is nothing of value left behind. Once she is almost an hour’s flight to the north she chooses a zigzag pattern back towards Enbarr, keeping one eye ahead of her, and one behind.

Landing her Pegasus outside the stables, she slowly rides the exhausted beast in. Just as she sets her foot to the ground, Hubert is there spinning her to face him. He sneers in her face, not daring to say a word out in the open, so he nearly drags her by the arm into the Palace and into his office. There he forcefully throws her into a chair.

“What do you think you are doing!” Hubert rages his face red as his blood boils. “You fool! Galivanting off on your own!”  
Belle sits with her elbow on the arm of the chair, her chin pinched between her thumb and forefinger, staring off in the distance, not paying attention to his temper tantrum. The woman is still in her stealth clothing, solid black from head to toe, only her eyes visible from the black cloth over her head, black makeup around her eyes and eyelids to assist with blending into the darkness.  
“If this is how you will act, without regard, without consideration of all of the factors involved, I will strike you down where you sit.” Magic starts forming at the mans fingertips.

Belle takes the stocking off of her head, shaking her blood red hair loose behind her. “Before you kill me, let me tell you where I found their headquarters.” Only then does she look the dark mage in the face with a confident grin.

Sitting upright in his tent, his body covered in sweat, he awakens. Hubert has nightmares about pillars of light crashing down in the middle of the wedding reception. He only has them because Belle placed the thought in his head. He knows that they have had ample time to recharge their weapons and agrees it would be the perfect time to launch their attack. He wonders if three weeks time was enough to prepare for the battle of a lifetime. Emperor Edelgard has given her approval. Belle has already spoken with her, he is certain of it. Byleth will not be going. Now that he is without the goddess' blessing, he cannot fall in this battle. This fight has always been his. No. His and Belle’s. She has never seemed more alive than now. The determination in her voice, the passion in her eyes. It is not unlike how Lady Edelgard was when they first started the war to free Fodlan. 

Hubert steps outside of his tent, looking at the mountains in Hrym. In less than twenty four hours they will begin their attack. His faction will enter from the south, Belle’s troops will enter from the north. Of the Strike Force, only Jeritza, Caspar, Ferdinand and Linhardt accompany them. After Enbarr, they promised never to make Bernadetta fight again. Petra and Dorothea sailed to Brigid, promising to return for the wedding. This should be well over before they even hear of it.

The small encampment has approximately 100 units, the best assassins, mages, fighters and war masters that can be found. Hubert is accompanied by his battalion, who will fight for him to the death. They avoid the main roads, towns and villages, hiding their position from any that may view from above and covering their tracks from below. They can only speculate on the hours kept in Shambhala. The Agarthans are active outside only at night if possible, the sun too bright, too harsh and painful upon their skin. However, in the depths of the earth, the humans do not know the schedule of those that Slither. They need sleep, but for how long? Do they work in shifts? There are too many unknowns. The only thing Hubert knows for certain, is that soon is the beginning of the end of Shambhala.

Belle checks the time, 1 hour until entry. Her troops are at the ready, silently waiting to rush in and begin the attack. She is with several Pegasus knights on the top of the mountain. She has found the air vents for bringing in fresh air and dispelling exhaust. Only she would be able to recognize something like this. The Agarthans disguised the stacks to look like large hollow tree trunks. The putrid smells of the gases coming from the pipes reminds her of long, long, ago, a place she never wants to see again. Crushing the pipes, throwing in rocks and boulders to block them up and perhaps damage or jam the machinery, they move quickly to ruin every one of them. She has just enough time to return to her forces hiding in the woods. Lysithia and her battalion have joined, along side of several battalions of ruthless Almyran warriors. Claude sent them with a card wishing them “good luck”. The force gathers at the entrance, surprising an Agarthan that had just teleported into their midst, not expecting to be surrounded by enemies. The Almyrans behead them and cut off their limbs. Good to know, perhaps the ones in their areas can regrow limbs, or perhaps that is how they would treat demons. Belle doesn’t care, as long as they are dead. They will be certain to burn all the remains. Belle gives the signal and with whoops and screams the forces descend upon the unsuspecting Agarthans.

The tunnel is long and wide. The humans can run three abreast into the dimly lit space. After one hundred feet or so, smaller tunnels split left and right, with a handful of warriors and mages running in to fight whatever creatures are found in the darkness. Crimson blades slice into the pale white flesh of a female Agarthan mage just before she completes her Dark Spikes spell.

Belle emerges from the tunnel into an open hall. Huge passages curve left and right, the center ahead is a circular stone support, two stories high with a glowing dome atop the support. Above the dome is at least forty feet of airspace before the stone ceiling reflects the soft light back toward the ground. There are bodies of younger Agarthans lying about, their darker blood pooling around their cooling bodies. Only the oldest Agarthans crumble to dust, their magic seemingly the only thing holding them together. Belle uses highly reflective paint to mark the wall next to the corridor she enters with Exit and an Arrow. They find a stairway down to the left. As she descends to the lower floors she marks the walls 1 X arrow up the stairs. Her soldiers fight and kill every creature not one of their own. They take no prisoners.

Hubert’s forces entered Shambhala less than thirty minutes ago. He is shocked at how overconfident the Agarthans have been. There are little protections as they first enter the complex built deep within the mountain. The construction is impressive, the first rooms open into high cathedral ceilings with impressive stonework holding up the walls and ceilings. He finds it foolish to be impressed by the architecture of his most hated enemies. These are the people that took his Lady, tortured and performed unspeakable atrocities upon her. They are halfway up the mountain, surely the Agarthans must have some secret exits that they have been unable to detect from the surface. His forces are driving them down, deeper into the ground. Magic and explosions fill the air, the smell of ozone and sulfur mixes into a nausea inducing scent. They anticipate secret exits on the sides of the mountain, thus there are patrolling wyvern and Pegasus riders to scour the grounds around the mountain to pick off any attempting to escape.  
The tall dark mage skulks in the shadows, stepping over the multiple bodies of those enemies that are caught by surprise. There is a humming of machinery, this is what Belle had mentioned in their conversations. She said the whole mountain sounded alive with the thrumming of grinding gears and mechanics, however he could only really hear it once they were four floors below the entrance level. Descending the stairs, the floors and walls give off an eerie blue glow, providing barely enough light to see in the darkness. He hears a gravely evil voice that he recognizes as Thales giving orders to his minions through some unseen device. “Now is the time. Destroy all those that come from the surface. Remove the bindings on the Titanus. Their metal bodies shall be drenched in the blood of our enemies! Vengeance is within our grasp.”

Lysithia finds a door in a corner of the room on the fifth floor. Belle runs over to unlock it, she has everyone stand back as she quickly pulls it open, thankfully no one was struck by the fireballs that greet them. Belle runs inside as a thoron spell is cast by the white haired mage next to her, striking two Agarthans sending them back to the hell they came from. Belle cuts down the two remaining. The redhead makes everyone exit as she leaves four metal objects at specific spots within the room. She then closes the door just in time to hear an explosion within the room. Nothing useful in there any longer.

The human invaders run to a far corridor with a door in the center, one of the assassins in the group unlocks the door, the huge metal doors make a grinding noise as they open revealing two Agarthan fortress knights, they are killed immediately by the invading humans. There are two pathways ahead, Lysithia takes half the warriors and proceeds straight, while Belle leads the rest to the left. They easily snipe the Agarthan fighters from a distance. Belle unlocks the door on the right of the pathway. Ahead is the passage that opens to the central chamber with several large fighters and a metal golem in the center. Belle sends her team to dispatch them as she notices the door across from her opens and Hubert’s forces join them. The Agarthans’ golem and fighters are all killed as Lysithia enters the door from Belle’s right.

Thales appears on a dais and laughs at their presence. “Such base animals dare to bare their fangs at the likes of us. You have no idea what you are up against. “  
“Die you monstrous freak.” Lysithia screams. She is allowed the great honor in striking the killing blow against Thales. His pasty white body falls to the ground as he croaks out his final words. “You will never live to enjoy your victory. For all Agarthans, let there be light!” he screams as his hand hits a secret panel on the floor then he crumbles to dust.

The floor begins to glow brighter. Light seems to flow like water along the lines of the floor and walls, following paths left and right reaching out to a multitude of different areas. Ancient machinery starts grinding, the sound slowly building.

“Get the hell out of here, NOW!” Screams Belle to all remaining in the room. The high pitched screams of the spears of light are now in her head.  
The humming of machinery becomes louder and louder. Everyone is scrambling for the stairs, Hubert grabs Belle by the shoulder and warps with her to the southern entrance of Shambhala. They run a safe distance from the entryway, looking into the sky to watch pillars of light, exactly like the ones seen at the Silver Maiden, shooting straight up into the air only to stop and then return back to their source, straight down to the center of the mountain containing Shambhala. Each strike hits with a force that is devastating, blasting rocks, dirt and debris in every direction. The sound is loud, making the ears of all within hundreds of yards ring. The earth under their feet trembles and quakes uncontrollably. The ground looks like it is a pool of water, rippling as waves of the tremendous force coming from the center of the mountain reaching ever outward. The redheaded woman lies flat on the ground, watching the trees that surround them, the trees are swaying and waving with the shifting of the earth. She anxiously looks to all sides, preparing to avoid being crushed should any trees be shaken completely from their roots. A few trees do fall, however they do not crash into her or Hubert. The last of the pillars of light strike the ground and a forceful gust of air loaded with dust and debris exits the entrance to the remains of Shambhala.

Belle finally stands and listens. The sound of machinery within the mountain has stopped. They look to see the top of the mountain is blown wide open, smoke pouring from the crater in the center. Now that the dust is settling, more allied soldiers and fighters emerge from the egress.  
“Thank you, Hubert.” Belle says appreciatively to the dark mage as she assists him to get back onto his feet.  
“We can’t have you dying at the first battle against the Slitherers. You have three additional locations to destroy on your list.” He says nonchalantly as he brushes dust and dirt from his clothing.

“This is going to take a while to clean up. I know you need to get back to Enbarr for the wedding preparations.” She remarks.  
“Trying to be rid of me already? I am insulted.” Hubert scowls.  
Belle shakes her head, “I know you are buried in paperwork for months. Your Minister position has you heavily overloaded by paperwork, red tape, spying, security, scheduling and who knows what else in preparation for the wedding. I know you will attempt to keep Emperor Edelgard from having to perform any task or lifting a single finger related to work for the event. I feel entirely fortunate that you were able to join me for this mission. Although I know deep down you would not miss it for anything, your time is precious. I will make certain that there is nothing left of these fools to interfere with the momentous occasion.”  
“A wedding is nothing compared to planning and winning a war across an entire continent.” He remonstrates.  
Belle laughs, “I am told the struggle over the seating arrangements alone are enough reason for some to think the next war should begin any day. Seriously, please take time for yourself. Get some sleep. Give your body time to recover. Stop trying to live off of caffeine, stress and worry. You will make your heart explode eventually.” She shakes her head softly at the last bit, looking into Hubert’s face, he looks exhausted, his eyes sunken in deeper than ever before.  
“One cannot change ones basic nature.” Hubert counters.  
Belle shakes her head. “Go take care of our beloved Emperor, you silly man. I have some missing soldiers to account for. Things are well in control here. Tell everyone I said hello.” She reaches to touch his face, however he quickly takes a step back.  
Hubert bows before warping back to his camp to pack and return to Enbarr.

Belle directs a large portion of the remaining forces to patrol the areas outside nonstop. They have encountered a few Agarthans warping to the location and they eradicate them immediately. They re-enter Shambhala from the southern entrance, the northern blocked by tons of rock and dirt filling in the tunnel. The dead bodies of their allies are recovered and given proper burial. Dead Agarthans are searched and then burned. Every book and paper is gathered to be sent to Enbarr.

Approximately a half mile to the west an underground exit is found, providing evidence that it has been used by a multitude of residents. Some bodies have been found nearby, their skin being severely burnt by the rays of the sun. They will need to scour the nearby towns and villages for any that made their escape. Another large unit will enter here to tie up the loose ends. It takes several weeks to clear everywhere they can reach. As a parting gift, a series of large explosions are set off in structurally critical locations within Shambhala. Should there be any Agarthans trying to return, they will find nothing useful. Belle schedules random inspections by Imperial spies to confirm there is no further activity in the area for many years. Belle has heard no sound from the mountain for many days, no matter how far she had been in the Agarthans home.

In Ordelia territory, the secret base of the Agarthans is found and overrun. The party attacks early after sunrise. Agarthans white skin is easily damaged in direct sunlight, thus there is no place for them to run once they are cornered in their underground laboratories. They find over twenty human children, victims of the experiments or ones that bear the crests of those they require blood for. Thankfully Lysithia is not here, this could have been the very place that had implanted the second crest within her. Once again anything resembling notes, instructions, everything that has writing is carefully packaged and sent to Enbarr for study. Belle also sends some smaller interesting machinery, tools used by the Agarthans that may give insight as to their purpose. Once cleared of any useful items or information, Belle loads the place with explosives and several fuses, lighting them as she leaves. There is one small area that does not crumble, therefore she has the magic users cast various spells that cause the area to collapse with the rest. Nothing remains beyond a crater.


	7. Wedding Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle returns to Enbarr just in time to get ready for the wedding of Edelgard and Byleth.  
> Hubert has been hogging all the glory. --Ferdinand  
> He won't let us do anything for our own wedding -- Bride and Groom  
> Let's get you sexy clothes! --Manuela  
> Eeep! ---Bernadetta  
> Huh? ---Caspar  
> ZZZzzzzz --Linhardt  
> Petra and Dorothea --We're on a boat!

Belle returns to Enbarr four weeks before the wedding. She does not announce her arrival, quietly entering in the middle of the night, heading directly to her lab in the depths of the palace. Hubert knows she is here, his spies monitor her actions regularly. The first things she needs to attend to is repairs to her arms and legs. She begins with the wiring in the right arm and left leg, connections severed as a result of being struck by axes and lances. She can replace wires easily, however parts that are programmed, such as sensors measuring temperature, pressure, moisture and the like, well, it is hit or miss if she can fix them. She’s recovered a few relay switches, usually just an issue of corrosion because moisture leaks into a place it should not. She was sent with extra parts, but there was only so much she could carry. Once she runs out of some spare parts, she’ll have to rely on what she can scavenge from herself or do without.

The recent battles have left holes, cuts and gouges in her skin. She must fill them in, smooth them over then paint them. Belle enjoys the painting now, the skin on the tops of her arms is a bit darker, fading to a lighter color under her arms, in the crease of her elbows. Bernie has been a great teacher, showing her how to perform the natural shading. She has been adding details to suggest veins under the skin, especially at the wrists, inside the arms where the elbow is on the outside and a shade darker lines at where the fingers and hands bend. Her fingernails and toenails are painted red to match her hair. Although no one will see her arms but her, it’s an exciting feeling. She is going to be daring and wearing lace gloves to the wedding, making her not feel quite so different as her own skin will peek through.

Repairs complete, she returns to her room to wash her hair and cleanse the dirt of the last battle from her real skin.

Taking a seat in the dining room of the Imperial Palace, Belle enjoys a rare breakfast with her friends. Emperor Edelgard and Byleth are being disgustingly cute making faces at each other and acting twitterpated. Bernadetta glances up at them briefly then blushes into her pancakes and eggs.

“They are simply too cute.” Chuckles Linhardt as he takes a few more sweet buns from the pile on the table.

Caspar reaches across the table for another stack of pancakes, being more interested in loading up on energy for some intense sparring later in the morning.

The redheaded woman smiles at the two lovebirds and nods as she takes a bite of her strawberry jam covered pancake. “You two are already so deliriously happy, I cannot imagine what it is going to be like in less than four weeks.“

Byleth is so taken with his bride to be, he’s hardly touched his plate, preferring to stare lovingly at his future wife.

Emperor Edelgard tries to wave off the attention, however everyone can see her frequently looking back into her fiancé’s eyes with a grin.

Hubert quickly finishes his light meal, politely stands and excuses himself as he has preparations to attend to. Bowing, as usual, he leaves the room.

Belle asks about Ferdinand’s whereabouts and is advised he is in Alliance territory, negotiating changes as to the representatives who will speak for the people and discussions regarding taxes. Belle excuses herself after finishing breakfast as well.

Reaching the infirmary the redhead finds Manuela half asleep at the desk. Belle has brought her some breakfast and tea to revitalize her. The older woman’s attitude becomes much more pleasant after a bit of sustenance. The redhead requests to have her wounds tended. Luckily, she had only sustained some minor cuts and scratches, so proper disinfecting and bandaging would be the primary treatment needed. The conversation comes around to the upcoming nuptials. At first Manuela bemoans her miserable love life, however Belle does suggest that the wedding is an opportunity to meet additional prospects in her search for Mr. Right. That placates the former professor for a bit.

“So my dear, what are you wearing to the wedding?” Manuela prods.

Belle puts a finger to her cheek. “I haven’t really thought of it. I suppose I should get a new dress. I don’t even know the color scheme for anything. I’ve been so busy fighting the war in the darkness, I have not had much time to think of the event of the year.”

“Come now!” the singer purrs. “I know just the place to go and get you fitted for something quite beautiful and perhaps a bit daring. I remember your showing up at the ball at the monastery looking like they could lay you down in a casket any minute. We won’t have that for this wedding. I will be certain that you are dressed properly.”

Belle is taken back. “Daring? Me? Honestly, I don’t know if I could do something like that. I’d rather be, I don’t know, fighting battles in full armor. And it is Wyvern Moon in a couple weeks. I would freeze to death running around half naked.”

“I am certain we can find a middle ground. Collars completely up to your chin are ridiculous. You can’t get Mr. Dark and Mysterious to notice you if there’s nothing to see.”

Belle blushes profusely and covers her mouth.

Manuela pens a note, anyone looking for her should go find Linhardt. She then grabs Belle by the elbow and leads her out into the streets of Enbarr to find proper attire for the wedding.

Manuela and the seamstress have now joined forces in working on Belle to come out of her shell a bit (completely) and frivolously throw caution to the wind. They start with dresses that look more like lingerie than proper attire for a wedding. The redhead finally puts her foot down and establishes ground rules. The dress is ankle length, the sleeves will be up on the shoulders. She will have arm length gloves, black lace with roses. The cleavage will not go past her breasts and 80% of them will be covered. She settles for an A line dress with a V neck, complete with a lacing corset built in that would show off her slender waist and lift her bosom a bit to display those assets as well, without making them look like they would pop out at any minute (Cough.Manuela.Cough). Black lace roses are layered over cream colored satin from the waist up, gloves made from the same black lace, and roses from the lace pattern would be scattered around the lower third of the dress. Bitter Chocolate colored satin is used from the waist down. Lace stockings to match the gloves. Black leather heeled shoes to complete the outfit and she is finished. The order is placed, to be completed 5 days prior to the wedding.

Belle knocks at the door of the Minister of the Imperial Household. When she enters, her shoulders droop considerably. The man looks over tired, like has not slept in two weeks.

“Hubert, you look completely exhausted! Please let me help you with something, anything.” Belle says, not hiding the worry in her voice. His face is ashen and she can see his hands trembling slightly.

“No. These are things I must attend to for Her Majesty personally.” He wearily replies.

“Hubert, you look as if you will collapse any moment. We cannot allow you to work yourself to death. Really, you must get some sleep, you must eat and then return to your work. And I insist that you allow us to help you. There will be nothing left of you soon.”

Hubert attempts to argue, but the words coming out of his mouth are no longer coherent. The quill in his hand shakes above the parchment he is attempting to write upon. Belle removes the quill from his hand returning it to the stand and seals the inkpot. He stands and takes a step, however he loses his balance slightly as his hand reaches for his head trying to help still the room as it spins around him. The wild look in his eyes is frightening. The redhead scoops him into her arms, carrying him bridal style from his office to his quarters. He goes along with this quietly, not saying a word. When they are at his door he produces a key from his pocket to unlock the door. He then dispels the magic sealing the door shut so that she can bring him within his quarters. He warns her to stay to the far left wall and avoid certain spots on the carpet as she carries him through the room. He has to dispel another lock on his bedroom before she can open the door and deposit him gently onto his bed. She lies him down and removes his shoes. Sitting him up she takes off his cravat and removes his overcoat. Lying him back on the bed, she retrieves a glass of water for him, helping him bring it to his lips. He downs half the glass and she places the rest on his nightstand.

“I will sleep for a bit. Thank you.” Hubert says softly.

“May I stay until I know you are asleep, please?” she quietly asks.

The dark mage nods, closing his eyes. Belle hums a few soft tunes as she reaches up to push his hair out of his face then gently runs her fingers through his hair. She watches him slowly relax and fall into a quiet slumber. She leaves, locking the door behind her.

Belle finds Emperor Edelgard and Byleth taking tea in the sunroom. On her approach, they invite her to join them.

“Please excuse my boldness, however I believe that Hubert is working himself into his grave over the wedding.”

Edelgard nods. “I have been asking him every day to allow us to assist him. It is our wedding and we should have much more of the responsibility handling it. He refuses of course. I had feared this would happen.”

Byleth nods. “Certainly he consults with us regarding our preferences, what we want, however he refuses to allow us to lift a finger.”

“He is an incredibly stubborn man. Short of staging a full blown coup, I will have a word with him about accepting assistance, delegating duties, and sticking with letting others work with him. Bernadetta is amazing with flowers, and if she is willing, he can hand those responsibilities over to her. If each of you take on one or two tasks, I can see if Ferdinand will assist him and of course I am here to help as well. The hardest part will be all of us forcing him to let go of some duties so that he can eat properly and get some rest.”

“Agreed!” smiles Edelgard. “I think you are the one person that may be able to talk him into this.”

They enjoy their tea for a few moments before Byleth asks to hear about the details of the taking down of Shambhala and the Agarthans in Ordelia.

Belle is delighted to share her perspective on the attack.

Three hours later, Belle returns to Hubert’s quarters only to find him on the other side of his door preparing to leave.

“Where do you think you are going?” Belle stands in front of him, arms crossed.

“There are important items that must be attended to” Hubert curtly answers.

“The first would be food. I will head to the kitchens to retrieve sustenance for you. Is there anything you would prefer?” She asks.

“Anything would be fine. I am not picky.” He grunts.

“I recommend you state a preference because when I deliver your meal you _will_ clean your plate.”

“Just whatever, I must return to my office.” He mumbles as he pushes past her, heading down the hallway.

Not long after he has immersed himself in a large stack of papers, Belle arrives to his office with a tray containing two covered dishes.

“I recall you had favored Two Fish Saute in the past. I also have a salad prepared with a spicy dressing and bitter herbs with tomatoes. The beverage is cranberry and pomegranate juice. A bit on the tart side, and very healthy for you.

Hubert’s brows furrow as he deeply frowns, however the sound of his stomach growling begs to have a different opinion. Reluctantly, he allows her to move the paperwork to the other side of his desk as she places his plate, utensils napkin and drink in front of him, and then takes her own. They eat in silence for the first few minutes. 

“You will allow us to assist you.” Belle informs him. She takes a bite of her salad. “Everyone would be thrilled to have the honor of helping with the wedding. I cannot believe that Ferdinand has not declared that you are hogging all the glory for yourself.”

“Hmpf.” Hubert grunts, taking a bite of fish.

“You will make notes on what you have completed thus far and then delegate items to the rest of us. Emperor Edelgard and Byleth feel as if they are not much of a part of their own wedding and request some duties as well. I know you have saved them many headaches and grief, however let them participate where they would like. Bernadetta can help with the flower arrangements and centerpieces. Dorothea and Petra arrive tomorrow, let them handle the music. Ferdinand will do anything you ask, he is returning the day after tomorrow.”

“And what, pray tell,” he mutters, “Will you be doing?”

“First and foremost, I will ensure that you survive until the wedding. You know I can take on any necessary late-night tasks. You have plenty in your employ that are able to set sigils and cast warning, defensive and protective spells.”

“This is my duty. You cannot waltz in here and take over my position.” He curtly remarks.

“It is your duty to see that the wedding is absolutely perfect. That does not mean you have to complete each and every task yourself. Delegate it to those that are fit and check on them to make sure things are according to schedule. It is no different than preparing for war.”

“I suppose there is no way out of this.” Hubert’s shoulders sag slightly.

“You are correct. Immediately after lunch we will sort out the paperwork and tomorrow we will meet with everyone. Should we run into any issues, I will work with you to have them resolved.” Belle takes his plates, now that they are empty, returns them to the tray and places it outside his door. She then returns to his desk to assist with sorting the stacks of paperwork, identifying where they can be delegated.

Hubert joins everyone in the dining room for dinner. It has been such a scare occurrence that everyone is treating him like a rarely seen guest. After dinner he will have coffee and tea with the soon to be newlyweds to discuss what parts of the wedding they wish to take under their careful watch.

The Minister of the Imperial Household reluctantly relinquishes his complete and total control over multiple tasks to be completed ahead of and during the wedding. Dorothea works with Manuela arranging the music for the wedding and reception. They are overjoyed with the honor and thank Hubert profusely for allowing them this privilege. The tall man blushes at the praise. He has reserved several groups and artists for the event. The delegees certainly have the in-depth knowledge of what each group is capable of performing and when. Bernadetta, having finished the veil for Edelgard last week is happy to work with the florists, perhaps she can even get them to import some special plants from other regions at her request. The list of duties Hubert is left with shrinks as the list of people assisting increases. Hubert now has time to simply follow up with everyone and their tasks, enlisting Belle to assist if an in person presence is needed. He is eating again and managing to get a few hours of sleep every night. The color returns to his face, not that he had much to begin with, it is better.

The day of the wedding finally arrives. The guests and attendees are seated within the palace throne room. On a small podium in front of the Emperor’s Throne stands the highest Judge in the Court of the Empire, to his left stands Belle, to the Judge’s right stands Hubert. Small groups of musicians are playing instrumental music as the guests are seated. A small orchestra now begins to play as Byleth enters to the left of the Judge. He is smartly dressed in a black silken tuxedo-like suit. He slowly walks forward to stand in front of the officiate, watching for his Bride to enter from the opposite door. Manuela and Dorothea sing a duet that begins A Capella, the orchestra then joins for the second verse. Emperor Edelgard emerges from the side, a vision of beauty and elegance in her heavily beaded ivory dress, she appears to slowly float across the floor as she takes measured steps in time with the music. Byleth swallows hard, his face aglow with admiration for his love as she advances toward him. The Judge asks them to join hands. Belle watches a single tear of love and admiration fall down her best friend’s cheek. The Judge continues with his officiating, asking for the rings from Belle and Hubert. Byleth says his vows first, placing the ring that his father had given him on Edelgard’s hand. She reciprocates, placing her father’s wedding ring on Byleth’s hand. They are pronounced as wed and kiss to a thunderous applause. The orchestra plays as Dorothea sings while they exit. There is a short break as the guests are all directed to the ballroom for the reception.

Hubert is pleased that things have gone completely to his plan thus far. There have been no embarrassments to the Empire. Bernadetta’s work on the flower arrangements is flawless, and although he will not admit to it, better than he would have completed himself. The food is arriving in the room as his ‘assistants’ check each and every dish for ‘unexpected’ ingredients. The string quartet in the corner is perfect dining accompaniment. The dishes for the bride and groom were specially prepared under supervision in the palace’s kitchens, tested for any poisons and are being thoroughly enjoyed by the newlyweds. The cakes in the corner of the room are impeccable. A few more hours and this will be complete. Nothing can compete with that feeling of accomplishment, except for the destruction of Shambhala.

“Hubert.” A familiar voice pleasantly calls to him, her soft breath causing his hair to tickle his right ear. “Sit by the Emperor’s side and eat. It is still a long night.” Belle encourages him.

Heaving a long sigh, Hubert relinquishes and sits to have dinner and enjoy a brief conversation with Byleth and Edelgard. Belle notices a tinge of red to the mage’s cheeks, probably as a result of the praise from the newly married couple for his great success in bringing this overwhelming and nearly impossible event to such a beautiful and complete conclusion. Well-deserved praise indeed for the hardest working man in the country, she thinks.

Dinner concludes, dishes cleared, it is time to begin dancing. The orchestra in the front right of the room begins to play a beautiful waltz, the song specifically requested by the newlyweds for the first dance. Byleth leads his bride flawlessly, owing much thanks to Dorothea’s heavy training with him for weeks. Once the dance concludes, the rest of the guests are invited to dance with the bride or groom. The attendees eagerly line up to have an opportunity to waltz with royalty. Hubert remains up on the dais at the front, watching for any suspect activity from his high vantage point.

Belle meanders around the outside areas of the room, greeting guests and exchanging pleasantries. She moves toward the rear of the room, standing behind a cloaked figure.

“I would never expect to find the King of Almyra skulking around the back of the hall.” She whispers in his ear. “Hello, Khalid.” She says as she bows.

“Hey now, I’m just a regular old guest wanting to wish the best to Teach and his bride.” Claude whispers back softly.

She removes his cloak and takes his hand, walking toward the dance floor. Claude is naturally dressed in his illustrious silken flair of Almyran garb, laced with a taste of Fodlan. Showy, but not flashy enough to upstage the guests of honor. Belle places her left hand on his shoulder, the other within his palm and lets him lead her to where Empress Edelgard is dancing currently with Ferdinand.

“I didn’t even know you could dance. You didn’t at the ball.” Claude winks at Belle while grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“A girl can’t give away all her secrets at once.” She smiles.

An opportune moment arrives for Claude to cut in and have a brief moment to dance with the beautiful bride. Belle is whisked away by Ferdinand.

“I am surprised! You are a talented dancer.” The handsome cavalier softly says to his new dance partner.

“I am a woman of many mysterious talents.” She responds as he dips her in time with the music.

They finish the dance and thank each other, Ferdinand bringing his lips to the back of her hand. Belle resumes her survey of the room, making certain guests are well entertained and on their best behavior.

She rejoins Hubert on the dais behind the seats reserved for the bride and groom.

“Since when have you learned to waltz?” he asks with a raised brow.

“After the war, I have been entertaining different hobbies.” She replies, “I enrolled in the Widow Twanky’s School of Dance. Byleth had always said that dance would improve your footwork while wielding a sword, and I must say he is correct.”

Hubert simply nods, watching over the room, making certain there are no acts of foul play on his watch.

The bride and groom return to their seats, enjoying a bit of respite after dancing. Hubert moves forward and refills their champagne flutes.

“Hubert, must you spend every waking moment watching over my shoulder?” Edelgard frets. “Now that I am married, the duty of my protection falls first to my husband.” She smiles then looks lovingly into Byleth’s eyes.

“I will do everything in my power to keep you from harm, my love.” Byleth affectionately says to his blushing bride as he kisses the back of her hand.

Hubert had never thought of this situation. He has always watched over his Lady. Protected her. Defended her. Murdered for her. Performed her every desire without question. Now with a vow and an exchange of rings, he’s being replaced. Hubert steps back to the wall behind his precious Emperor, ashen white, a shocked look upon his face. He understands there will be some changes as a result of their union, however he had not thought how that would affect him personally.

“I will take the next security patrol.” Hubert whispers in Belle’s ear as he steps from the dais and walks toward the back of the room.

Belle watches him head to the rear of the ballroom, then proceed to exit through the doors. Edelgard beckons her red-headed friend closer. She informs her of what she has just told Hubert and would like her to speak with him.

Belle had clearly heard what was said, she agrees with the Empress and walks toward the exit herself.

Hubert stands on a low balcony, his back against the wall. His hands are balled into fists, his head bowed down, eyes closed tightly. The cool night air is a relief from the heat and closeness of the ballroom.

Belle can tell he is anguished. His heart rate is up, his breathing shallow and fast. She stands next to him, gently placing her hand behind his back, fingers lightly touching his right shoulder. She rests her cheek on his left arm.

The dark mage does not move, he gives a deep long sigh.

“House Vestra has been bound to House Hresvelg for generations. Since the dawn of the Empire, we have protected our Emperor by any means necessary.” He speaks softly, his voice barely a whisper. “We live to protect them at all costs with our very lives.”

“Everything changes. The marriage is a huge dynamic of change. Nothing stays the same. Yes, they are preparing you for changes. I expect there to be many, many more. They are not asking you to stop doing what you do best. Byleth could never be the Imperial Spy Master. They need you, and they will be the first to admit it. Our Emperor is no frail flower ready to collapse from the slightest breeze. Byleth is there now, at her side, to protect her with his life. They still need you, if for nothing else but to prevent him from ever removing his sword from its scabbard.”

A frustrated huff is the only response the man beside her provides.

“She still wants you to watch over her. Perhaps it should be done a little more, um, casually. Take a moment for yourself.”

Hubert raises his right hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “There is much to take in.” he mutters.

Belle steps back, grabbing the cuff of his jacket in her fingers, pulling him toward the door. “Let’s get back to the party. You should do something. Go, have a dance, have a conversation, take a seat and watch someone enjoy themselves. Threaten a dignitary for all I care. Do something that makes you smile.”

They return to the Ballroom just as the cake is being served and the orchestra is taking a brief break. Belle scans the room as she walks to the doors behind the Bride and Groom, giving them a curtsey as she passes. Hubert stops at a table seated with several of the former members of the Black Eagles Strike Force. They are all gushing sincere praise upon Hubert for producing the perfect wedding for Emperor Edelgard and their Professor. Hubert sincerely compliments Bernadetta for her expertise with the floral arrangements, making the shy woman blush profusely. He thanks each and every one of his friends for their help with the preparations of this unforgettable event. As the plates of cakes arrive, Hubert excuses himself from the table, not having preference for the heavily sweetened baked treat. Just as Hubert is close to the head table, Belle reappears with a tray, lifting it in order to encourage him to take his seat. She places in front of him a hot cup of coffee, a carafe containing more and a glass bowl containing a dark mousse in a dainty crystal dish. Taking her seat to the left of Byleth, she chats with her dear friends about things they’ve been watching, people they have spoken with. Then the newlyweds team up, trying to convince Belle to take a piece of wedding cake and put it under her pillow so that she can dream of her own future spouse. Belle leaves the spare piece of cake on the table, to retrieve later of course.

The Orchestra resumes playing once the cake distraction is over with. The newlyweds decide to take the floor, joining the rest of the guests. Belle is smiling, watching everyone twirling and spinning across the floor, dresses flaring this way and that, the occasional dip of a partner here and there. The song is nearing its end when she hears an ‘ahem’ behind her.

She looks to see Hubert bowing, offering his left hand, “Would you care to dance?”

“I would be delighted.” Belle smiles as he leads her to the dance floor just as the next waltz begins.

Hubert places his right hand at Belle’s waist as she places her right hand within his left. The waltz begins as they smile, occasionally gazing at each other’s face.

“The dessert was delicious. What was it called?” Hubert asks, briefly glancing about the room, he makes a quick security check without being too obvious.

Belle smiles, the slightest shaking of her head at his sneakiness, “Bitter Chocolate Mousse. Fairly healthy. Not a lot of heavy cream. Includes bitter chocolate, some of your favorite coffee and eggs to give it a nice texture.”

“It was delicious, thank you.” Hubert says, the corner of his mouth turned up in the suggestion of a smile.

Belle, looks away, a tinge of pink dusting across her cheeks as she cannot help but smile in return.

The Bride and Groom sneak out the back door, headed for their next destination.

They continue to dance, Hubert leading them around the ballroom. The tall handsome man determines it is time for a dip, bringing his dance partner back into his arms just a bit closer, his gloved hand now in the center of her back, the distance between them decreased. She feels the warmth of his chest brushing against hers. His breath is against her cheek, sometimes puffing over to her ear. She cannot help but blush being so close to him.

Hubert gazes down at his dance partner. “Getting warm? Perhaps we should take a break.” He whispers at the end of the current song, heading toward the exit. With his hand still in the small of her back, Hubert leads Belle to a mezzanine overlooking the gardens. The trees are beautifully dressed in their fall colors, waving in the slight breeze. Belle breathes deep the fresh cool air, trying to still her trembling heart. Hubert still stands close to her, his arm around her waist.

“A beautiful night.” She gasps breathlessly.

“Hmm?” He hums as he turns to face her, gazing at her shining lips.

“Would you?” she pleads as she gently places her hands on his shoulders, looking deeply into his chartreuse eyes.

“May I?” his lips so close to hers she can feel the warmth of his breath, his words tickling her lips.

“Yes.” She begs, pulling him closer as their lips meet in a soft and gentle kiss. His lips are cool against hers at first, seeming to steal the warmth from her own. Hubert holds her a bit tighter as they break the kiss. He kisses her neck below her ear and down to her exposed shoulder.

Belle cannot help but let out a moan, his body so warm against hers, his lips leaving a magical wake behind as he trails kisses across her skin. She feels his lips kiss along the edge of her chin until they are back against hers. Then their bodies are held firmly together her hands rubbing his shoulders, fingers twirling in circles on his back.

They break their kiss to catch their breath. Belle pulls back slightly. “I think we best get back, something is going on.” She warns. She can hear a high pitched whistle and the dogs outside are now barking. They enter the hallway and there is a murmuring amongst the staff. The couple quickly make their way to the ballroom. There is a circle around two men who are loudly and very drunkenly arguing. The shorter, fatter of the two has grabbed a wine bottle, breaking off the bottom and is brandishing it about in order to slice anyone who comes his way. Belle makes a beeline to the man. She grabs the broken bottle in her right hand, breaking the glass into many much smaller pieces as she grabs the wrist of the man with her left. She forces his arm behind him and twists, making him howl in pain and release the remnants of the bottle. She is slightly leaning over his back she advises him she will escort him to his rooms or coach, for his evening of fun has now ended. As she marches him out of the room, she twists his arm any time he attempts to speak.

Hubert lays a hand on the shoulder of the other involved in the argument, advising that his evening has also come to a close. The man complies, walking peacefully from the ballroom and heads to his evening’s accommodations. Staff quickly removes the debris from the ground as the orchestra resumes playing. Couples begin to filter back on to the dance floor.

Belle returns to sit at the table filled with former Black Eagles students. Dorothea and Petra are waltzing across the dance floor. Bernadetta pulls a tweezers out of her purse and picks a few shards of glass out of Belles glove. Caspar makes an appointment later this week to do some grappling with the redhead, working on disarming techniques, the fight earlier had reminded him of this. Petra returns to the table and expresses her interest in sparring with her as well. Ferdinand demands to be included on the list. The lights are suddenly brighter as the orchestra has stopped playing and the musicians are packing up their instruments with care. Belle assists the staff in encouraging the remaining guests to leave and return to their quarters. She takes a reconnaissance stroll around the palace. There are a few guests being redirected to their rooms, however most of the hallways are vacant. She stops short of Hubert’s office, there is the sound of a muffled conversation coming from within.

Belle knocks on the door and is beckoned in.

“Belle,” Hubert speaks softly as he rises from his chair behind his desk. “I thought you would have retired for the evening by now.”

“I had to finish sending the guests to bed before they caused additional trouble.” She answers, looking into his visible eye. “Something going on?”

Another of his spies warp into the room, surprised that their employer is not alone at the moment.

“Sir…” the cloaked and masked mage bows quickly.

“Go on, she is to be trusted.” Hubert curtly replies.

“They are on the outskirts, headed this direction. There are close to fifty, perhaps more. I did not want to alert them to my presence.”

Hubert nods. “Return to a safe vantage point. Report if there is a new development.”

The spy disappears in a wisp of magic.

“When do we leave?” the swordswoman smiles.

“You should stay here and rest.” Hubert orders.

“I have not had a good fight in weeks. I will be ready in 10. Meet you at the stables.” She turns with a flip of her hair and heads out the door.

Pegasus loaded with saddlebags full of weapons, Belle is fully armored and ready for battle with her lance to her right, crossbow to the left, two full quivers of bolts on her back and her swords. Hubert arrives and they agree on the destination. She takes to the skies as he warps out of view. The Agarthans must have hoped that everyone would be completely caught up in the revelry of the party, easily being able to slip in and kill the unsuspecting wedding party in their drunken stupor.

She spies the foes gathered in the distance. There are more enemies than the previous report. There will be more fun to go around, she thinks, smiling to herself.

Spying the large group on the ground she looks and can tell not all of them are Agarthans, but to her, they may as well be. She quickly adjusts her altitude closer to them, dropping her welcoming gifts amongst them. One of her grenades explodes on the ground, the next three are at chest height and the three after that head height. Quite a few bodies hit the floor. She notices a few have warped to the trees to the north. Agarthans can see well in the darkness of the moonless night. Unfortunately, her human allies cannot. Mages hiding in the woods are more troublesome than the ones they are fighting in the roadway, thus Belle’s primary targets have been chosen. Her black Pegasus against the dark night sky can be detected by a missing patch of stars, thus they zig-zag closer and fly lower until she can leap off her steed. Peering from behind a tree she watches with her crossbow loaded. The tightly pulled wire thrusts the bolt swiftly into the neck of the closest enemy mage, blood spurting from his throat before he crumbles to dust. An explosion of magic behind her causes Belle to land face first on the ground, she quickly crawls under a bush, cocks her crossbow and watches around her. She spots a hand casting, just as she fires at the body peeking from the other side of the tree several hundred feet away, she watches the magic head toward her in a purple sparkling ball. It’s dark magic she can feel its burn through her, and he was wise to use a spell with a large range in order to catch her. The brightness of the purple light surrounding her blinds her for a moment and her ears are ringing loudly. Damn, she thinks, she’s left her vulneraries on the back of her Pegasus. Her body is shaking as nausea washes over her. There is one more out here. She needs to concentrate. She crawls on hands and knees to her crossbow, sets another bolt in the groove and engages the string into the latch. The ringing in her ears is so loud she cannot hear if the battle is still going on, cannot hear if someone is approaching. As she turns to look behind her she sees movement, her left hand reflexively pulling out a dagger, reaching back to throw it into the chest of her attacker. She gasps at seeing the bloody visage of Hubert, drops the dagger and loses consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Belle's left eye and right ear were replaced before she was sent back. I have always felt that the Agarthans were a bit colder blooded, their body temperature 80-85 F. She has night and thermal vision and an expanded range of hearing.


	8. Belle's War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and Hubert's final war with the Agarthans

The headache she can tolerate. Sleeping for three days? Actually, that felt pretty good. The constant stream of people coming in to lecture her? That she can do without. She is not completely awake when Manuela is speaking with Dorothea about her being so reckless, irresponsible and approximately thirty other overly dramatic words for the reason why Belle is in the infirmary.

“I hardly ever come in here.” She whines, waving the damp cloth that was on her forehead in the air to cool it so she can place it back and gain a little relief.

“Really Belle!” Manuela winds up for a major performance of a lecture, “You were one foot in the grave, with death’s icy grip around your throat. Your skin was white as an Agarthan, colder than Sreng snow. That mage used Bohr X on you. One sneeze could have put you over the threshold and six feet under. Your magic resistance is still terrible. Do you secretly have a death wish?”

Dorothea began the encore, “I had just made it in to bed when they hauled me out to find you hanging on by a thread. I’m still not over the trip from Brigid and was not happy about the condition they brought you in. You have some explaining and apologizing to do. How could you be so careless?”

The redhead hears footsteps and the door to the infirmary open. She lets out a huff of air, ready for the next shellacking.

Hubert quickly enters the room to stand alongside the only patient in the infirmary. “How are you feeling?” he asks, gently touching her on her right shoulder.

“I’m doing fine. Feel great. Ready to leave any second.” Belle overeagerly says.

“Oh no you don’t!” Manuela insists. “I haven’t given you the thrice over, nor near enough of a piece of my mind.”

Belle glances at Hubert with a pitiful, pleading look on her face.

The dark mage shakes his head. “Apologies, they are the rulers of their domain. Even I am subject to their whims, for the most part.” He turns to Manuela, “I must speak with her in private regarding our recent mission. Surely that can be arranged this afternoon?”

“I suppose.” The elder songstress acquiesces.

“Then if you will excuse me, Ladies.” Hubert bows and heads back out the door.

“Where were we, ahh yes.” Manuela has a glint to her eye that Belle does not care for. “Have you even seen yourself?”

Dorothea hands the redhead a mirror. Belle appears messy. Her hair could use a wash. She has a bit of a bruise on her left side of her neck. She reaches up to touch the skin.

“Keep going.” Orders Manuela.

Belle lifts the sheet and Manuela pulls the hospital gown back. The entire left side of her body is purple, like every single blood vessel under her skin had burst in one go.

Manuela winds up again, “That is what you have after we worked on you for three days straight. From what we can tell the vessels did not break deeper than the surface. Had it gone deeper it would have shut down your organs.”

Belle pulls her gown back down and pulls the sheet up. “I guess that means I’m not going to head out of town the day after tomorrow?”

Manuela provides her a ‘if looks could kill’ types of glares.

Cleansed, hair washed and braided, freshly changed into a new gown and new sheets, she’s allowed to sit up in the bed. Hubert has brought coffee and treats.

Hubert begins as he pours, “Your explosives took out the majority of the enemies. As you had noticed, a few fled to the woods. I saw you were directly hit by a powerful spell. Somehow you were still able to pull a dagger and threaten me before you recognized me. You do not waste any time. You are surprisingly destructive even without magic.“ He sips his steaming beverage while listening to her continue her report.

“I dropped the explosives, took evasive flying maneuvers until I was close enough to leap off. Shot the first one. The second mage had just missed me. Just as I saw him casting, I took a shot. I think it was Myson. Never saw the third. Manuela says I have a few bruises, but I am feeling fine.”

Hubert frowns, “I saw her report. A few bruises is not the same as bleeding under your skin for 75% of your torso.” He says as stands to kiss her cheek and look at the bruising on her neck, he raises the sleeve of the gown showing her left shoulder is entirely purple until the end of her arm, her other ‘skin’ pulled back and away from the flesh. “They are keeping pressure off the affected areas. That will help with the body’s natural ability to clean up, however this will take some time.”

“Ugh.” The redheaded woman lays back on the pillows.

Hubert kisses her on her forehead. “You are alive. I for one am grateful.”

“Thank you,” Belle whispers, her face turning pink.

An additional three days in the infirmary are torturous for the redheaded fighter. It does give her some time to study Almyran politics and the language. She is finally released with a vat of a somewhat sticky lotion to apply to all affected areas. The first place she finds herself is the training grounds. Enough lazing around, she must get herself into fighting shape as quickly as possible. Immediately after her two hour sparring session with Caspar, Dorothea grabs Belle and checks for any bruises or changes to the previously affected areas.

“Really Dorothea, “Belle whines. “I am fiiiine. I feel fantastic. Caspar has to make contact with these areas for any affect to happen. Are you so bored that you have nothing to do but poke and prod at my midsection?”

“Hush.” The songstress orders. “That was a particularly nasty spell and Edelgard herself said we have to make certain that you suffer no ill effects. If something did happen, I would hate to see what the Emperor’s Consort would do to me.”

The redhead laughs. “It is too funny hearing Byleth called that.”

Belle and Hubert stroll around the gardens of the palace. The leaves have been falling for a few weeks but there are still enough trees displaying their colors that the walk is surrounded by the splendor and beauty of fall.

“I must say the trees are looking resplendent this year.” Belle smiles. “They reveal the colors hidden in themselves. Simply delightful.”

“The color of the most brilliant scarlet oak tree pales in comparison to your beautiful hair.” Hubert takes her hand and kisses her palm.

The redhead smiles and blushes at the enchanting compliment. They continue meandering through the gardens, the leaves swirling about them, dancing in the autumn breeze. Having had an exquisite time surrounded by nature, they decide to return to Hubert’s parlor to enjoy a little coffee.

Belle prepares the caffeinated bitter drinks and serves Hubert who is sitting in the loveseat.

“Thank you, my dove. “ He smiles as he is handed his cup. “This should warm me up a bit, it was getting rather chilly as the sun was setting.”

Belle takes her cup, sitting close to the dark mage. “The weather changes frequently this time of year. The morning was chilly enough for a coat, early afternoon it was warm enough for shirtsleeves and tonight it may frost.”

They sit and chat about their day. Hubert mentions that he still feels a bit of a chill.

“I can think of a way to warm you up.” Belle grins as she stands to take his cup and hers, placing both of them on the end table. Facing him, she sits on Hubert’s lap, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, nuzzling her nose into his neck.

“Mmmmm.” He smiles. “Delightful.”

Hubert holds her tightly within his arms, breathing in her scent, smelling slightly of roses and peppermint. He buries his face in her neck, leaving a trail of kisses up her jawline until he finally reaches her lips. The kiss begins gently, their lips fit perfectly against each other. He traces his tongue along the edge of her lower lip, encouraging her to part her lips. Before long their tongues are dancing and swirling about each other. As Belle pulls back slightly to catch her breath, Hubert gently tugs on her lower lip with his teeth. She cannot keep herself from moaning softly as he chases her to supply a plethora of urgent passionate kisses that send chills up her spine. She thrills of the feel of his skin on hers. No sensors can mimic this feeling, the completeness of the physical stimulation. She is nearly overwhelmed by the feelings of touch. The nerves reacting, serotonin being released invisible shivers rippling through her body with every kiss. The softness of his breath on her throat, so warm and exciting. She is gasping for air, drowning in the sensation of his touch.

Arundel territory is covered with ice and snow. Belle joins the small army she has gathered to descend upon them with hellfire and brimstone. She witnessed the death of the Agarthan leader, however she must not let down her defenses. They have power, great power, and certainly a reason for taking out their revenge upon her. They are still a 2 day ride away from castle Arundel. She stops at a small inn in a village of perhaps twenty houses. She sees that the Agarthans are mixed in with the humans, even this far out in the territory. She heads straight for her room at the inn, reviewing her options. Three enemies are inside, either guest or owner, she’s not sure. Forgoing food, she heads straight to her room, one of her spies directly outside the door, another in the dining area, several others outside. The army must stop for the night, their horses need food and rest.

She is awakened at 2:30 am. The spy inside states the building is on fire and someone has blocked all of the exits. She lets them in, ordering them to stuff the blanket under the door. There is a window in the room, she is certain they will be aiming deadly magic at it soon, waiting for her to attempt to escape. She decides to leave from a different wall, grabbing an axe she starts removing layers of boards, making it through to the outer wall, breaking a stud loose she is able to hack through the horizontal boards on one side. She should be able to burst through and hopefully land somewhere not too dangerous. She’s not worried about breaking her bones, but she’s taking her spy with her too. Wrapping her companion in blankets to help soften the blow, she is ready. Picking them up in her arms, she hits the loosened boards elbow to shoulder first, the two of them falling and striking bushes as she rolls them onto the ground. Her spy is fine, heading off to the darkness, while she removes her crimson blades, pulls her hood over her head and heads out to annihilate her enemies. Shuriken silently find their targets, three Agarthans that were targeting her window, dark magic already gathering at their fingertips.

The sun was to have risen by now, however the skies are filled with black smoke as the village burns behind her. She leads 9 horses, three wagons and her remaining spies along with her Pegasus to meet with the army that slowly heads towards the heart of Arundel. Crawling into the back of the healer’s wagon, she is treated for her few injuries and allowed to sleep until they make camp again. She awakens as the bottom edge of the sun touches the horizon. She quickly eats and sharpens her blades.

The night watch is much easier with her being wide awake, no settlements nearby to try to confuse who would be approaching her army. If anyone approaches, they are dead. She ends anyone that dares to approach throughout the night. Sometimes single parties, sometimes small groups of five or 10. Mostly Agarthans, a few humans. She kills them now, perhaps ask questions in the daylight.

They approach the road leading to Arundel Palace which is perched at the top of a large hill. A soldier rides forward and dismounts. He stands before the center of the gate and reads the proclamation:

“In the name of Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg, ruler of…” is as far as he reads aloud as a flaming lance is thrown through his chest. The soldiers retreat approximately 60 feet as Belle has instructed them.

A dark flash in the sky bears down directly for the portcullis, suddenly angling skyward as three metallic items impact the iron grating, exploding and falling into the front of the entrance. There is no longer a gate preventing the army’s entry. Belle flies up into the air, concentrating on enemies in higher positions, taking out all spellcasters within view. The reinforcements arrive at the hilltop complex, aiding the removal of visible enemies.

A woman and child are brought in before Belle. They ask for sanctuary. The child appears to be part Agarthan. Belle questions her for a while, obtaining only sketchy information about who is here, how many, who is in charge now. It is nothing much more than her own intel has already discovered.

Belle takes out her dagger, and speaking in Agarthan says, “If I am to be guilty of genocide, it is not most, not only the bad, it is all of them.” She then ends the woman followed by her half Agarthan child. The bodies are burned.

She is called to a staircase that leads deep underneath the level of the palace. Belle’s specialized forces accompany her, prepared to follow her every order. She is 10 feet ahead of her soldiers. Taking a step, she hears an audible click and then the sound of stone grating against stone. She sends the soldiers back about twenty feet when suddenly there are large bugs resembling roaches and ants crawling down from the ceiling. The bugs sparkle with electricity. Their pincers look deadly and painful.

“Flamethrowers, now!” Belle has constructed crude weapons from metallic cylinders. The man with the tank on his chest pumps to make pressure as the one with him lights and directs the flames at the enemies. The bugs high pitched screeches are soon brought to an end by the flames. 

The underground passage continues downward at a sharper angle. Belle stops, so do the troops. She calls forth one of the battering rams that they brought. Her men stand it upright on a visibly obvious groove in the wall, careful to go no further forward than where she directs. Belle takes the back end of a lance, poking spots on the ground until grinding metal is heard and a sharpened portcullis falls, stopping at the end of the upright tree trunk, a point driven into it several inches. Ducking under the supported gate, she continues deeper. 

A few more minor traps slow their progress until finally they reach a large wooden door that must certainly be barred from the other side. She grabs the saw carried by one of her associates and plugs it in to the jury-rigged battery strapped to her back. The fully powered ancient reciprocating saw cuts through the thick wood like cold butter. Making a mess and sending shards everywhere, making one hell of a noise that nobody can recognize so they have no idea what the hell is going on. Belle pulls out her next weapon, stuffing it through the hole as she slides the heavy wooden board that is holding the door securely shut from the other side. The shining metal object pops open like a round flower, surrounded by highly polished reflective surfaces. One after the other, small bottles flash and explode, sending a series of incredibly bright flashes into the room. She lifts the wood from the brackets holding the door closed and opens it from her side. The Agarthans in the room are grabbing their eyes, temporarily blinded by the series of flash bulbs. The fighters rush in, attacking the enemy with no mercy. Belle fires her crossbow as soon as the next bolt is loaded. Any enemies that may have warped themselves away will be dealt with by the large number of forces she has positioned outside the palace.

The building is stripped of any worthwhile contents. Notes, research, anything of material value. Belle and several specially trained spies search for days for any hidden passages, hidden storage places or any exits. The forces are split into two. Part of them remain to prevent any enemies from returning. The other half will take the salvaged items to a secured location. Belle accompanies them until she feels that they are no longer followed. She wipes out many Agarthans who approach, who try to follow them to recapture their items, or those that simply wish to attack them.

The surrounding towns and villages of Arundel is by far is the largest concentration of the ancient ones since Shambhala. They are spread throughout the land and it takes her months to find every one of them in the area. Finally, reinforcements arrive. Belle must take a break, clear her head, rest. She has not truly slept soundly since the day before she and her army left for this place. It has been much better and much worse than she ever could have imagined it.

“Howard Bannister” Belle says, collapsing into a chair in a secured waiting room at the Imperial Palace.

“Lady Elaine Fairchild.” Hubert says in return.

Finally, he grasps Belles hand, kissing her knuckles. “It is good to see you.”

“I need to sleep, for a week. So exhausted.” Belle drags herself from the chair, finally allowed to head to her room.

The Minister of the Imperial Household follows her quietly. Unlocking her door for her, he checks the room to see that all is accounted for and safe. She enters closing the door behind her. Hubert wraps his arms around her, his hand grasping her jaw between his forefinger and thumb as he stares deeply into her eyes.

“I have missed you terribly.” He whispers softly placing a deep kiss on her lips then holding her tight against him.

“I have missed you. Truly, I am exhausted. I need rest. I have not slept for months.” She whimpers, tears in her eyes.

“May I lay next to you?” He whispers to her softly, not wishing to pressure her.

“Oh Please, I so want to sleep in your arms. Please.” She begs.

Hubert lays next to Belle in her too small bed. She tucks her face into his right shoulder lying alongside him, her arm across his chest. He barely closes his eyes for a moment, and she is asleep. He looks her over in the dim light. She has new scars and scrapes. She needs repairs to her arms, probably more places, but more than anything, she is here. He has read her coded letters and the reports from his spies. While she tells him she is searching for them, eliminating them one by one if she must, his spies tell a different story. Of how she works day and night. She does not eat much, arguing that she cannot trust the food. She does not sleep much as someone could warp in and kill her. He can tell she is exhausted, her cheeks are sunken in. She looks atrophied. The dark circles under her eyes make his look good.

Hubert allows her to rest late the next morning. He knocks on her door to fetch her for lunch.

“Let me sleep.” She whines.

He recalls having many mornings like this when his Emperor had worked herself to complete exhaustion. He must break her of her bad habits. “May I come in?”

She huffs loudly. “I suppose.”

The Master of the Imperial Household immediately takes charge. He pulls the covers from the whiney uncooperative redhead as he instructs her to get out of bed and get cleaned up. He advises that she will accompany him to lunch followed by a complete physical in the infirmary. Then she will attend a meeting with her Majesty and Byleth to discuss her progress. They will then have tea. If she behaves well enough, she is entitled to a short nap before preparing for dinner.

Belle is quite unhappy with the tight schedule Hubert has thrust upon her. Looking at herself in a mirror she almost doesn’t recognize her face. It is gaunt, eyes blackened around the outside, as if they peek from a hollow skull. She washes her hair and herself. Hubert has set out her change of clothes, she emerges looking like she has slightly better color.

He taps on the back of a chair, directing her to sit. He removes the towel from her head and dries her hair. He patiently combs it out then weaves her locks into several intricate braids, pinning them to her head. She has not been this clean for a very long time.

Belle stands and turns to him. “Am I presentable now?”

Bending slightly to kiss her cheek, the dark haired mage smiles. “Yes, my dear. Come along.” He offers his arm as they head to the door.

She barely survives lunch. She is not hungry to begin with. She is instructed to eat a minimum of 18 times by different dining companions. The number surely is higher, however she stops listening as she slowly counts to ten in binary, sometimes 30. Food itself is overwhelming. Sweets are too sweet. Sours are too sour. She only drinks water. Finally, Linhardt can no longer tolerate the situation, stands up takes her arm and drags her to the infirmary.

“Living nearly alone, constantly in fear of being killed or otherwise, you are leaning to feral tendencies. Not nearly as bad as Dimitri, but you were out there too long.” The healer begins.

“It is not like I could trust anyone besides a few of my best spies. Almost everyone around was working for them or with them. I could not tell what food would be contaminated. I was poisoned several times. How well could you rest if you knew someone could randomly warp in the room and kill you? That happened several times as well. Sleeping with one eye open is not very restful.”

“Did you only sleep with your left eye open then? Because the right one is not nearly as bloodshot as the left.” Lin has been staring into that eye for a few moments.

“Had something get in the left one just a few days ago. I’m happy it’s not infected.” Belle answers quickly.

“So how far can you see with it? Can you magnify things?” He starts rambling questions.

“No. Can I go now?” She asks impatiently.

“I haven’t started the physical yet. Disrobe from the waist up.” He orders, handing her a sheet to cover herself.

After a few moments he is back, looking her over. “Signs of prior multiple contusions.” His hands hover over her torso, using his faith magic to learn of other injuries. “Several broken ribs that have healed recently, they could be doing better.”

Linhardt concentrates, focusing magic to assist with her mending bones. He then moves around the examination table to her back. “Tsk Tsk. Nasty infection going on back here.” He mumbles going to the cabinets to get gauze, antiseptic and bandages. “Eaugh. Nasty isn’t the word. Disgusting!” he says having to cleanse deep into the wound with more antiseptic. Finally, he is able to sew some of it closed then apply further healing magic. “Don’t you feel pain at all?”

“Not much. It is there but I can ignore most of it. Can I get dressed now?” She feels as if she has been under a microscope since she returned.

“Lay on your stomach please, I just want to check a bit lower, briefly, where you cannot see. Since you were unaware of the condition of the wounds you had to your back.”

He waits for her to lie down, briefly lowering garments to expose here buttocks. Fortunately, there is nothing serious, just minor bruises from previous strikes. “Okay, get dressed now.”

Belle is finishing redressing and straightening her clothes when Hubert marches into the infirmary.

“What is your report, Linhardt?” The dark mage demands.

“I’m fine, everything is great.” Belle says.

“Pfft. She is mentally stressed, severely underweight, the infected wounds on her back need close watching, look for signs of sepsis such as her skin or whites of her eyes taking on a yellow tint. Her left eye specifically. She should be on bedrest for the next few days, not that she will do it. Keep her out of the sparring grounds for at least a week and she has to remain here for a minimum of two weeks to see that she puts some weight back on, her ribs are seriously protruding.

Hubert nods at the healer. “Your candor is appreciated.”

Offering his arm to the redheaded woman he begins, “We have a meeting to attend.”

Seated in the meeting room with Emperor Edelgard, Byleth, and Hubert, Belle is being attacked from all sides.

“Look at you! You’re a mess!” Edelgard does not hold back, her brows deeply furrowed, her anger is reeking. “I have read your reports on your successful removal of the Agarthans, however I do not expect this to be done at the cost of your life!”

Byleth leans over the table toward her. “You, of all people, know when someone is spiraling with despair.”

Belle falls back in her chair, vanquished. “This is my purpose. I have to destroy them. I cannot ask anyone else to face death such as this. I have made great strides, however at every turn I must put more cautions into place. They warp in at random times to try to kill me, poison my food and water supply. They kill my supports. Replace my trusted agents with skinwalkers. They hide poisoned needles everywhere. Even here I believe they will try to pursue me. I feel like my presence is leading them to you. I probably should leave, I’ve put you all in danger.”

Hubert tries to comfort her, “Belle, you are beyond your limit. Rest assured that we have defenses and magical spells of protection in place to keep you and everyone here safe.”

She looks heartbroken. “You knew who went with me. The best of the very best. So many of them have been taken. My apologies. I should have gone alone.”

“Once you have healed some, we will speak of this again. I think you are too exhausted to have this conversation right now. Let us retire to the Brigid conservatory and enjoy a quiet tea time. There we will only speak of positive things, and certainly not about work.” Edelgard changes the subject.

Belle nods. Byleth escorts his wife, leading the way to the greenhouse attached to the rear of the palace. The area is full of greenery and flowers, a perfect setting filled with life and warmth. The smell of the blossoming hibiscus fills the area, giving off an aura of calmness. Hubert leaves briefly, stating he must attend to a few matters. 

Belle tries so hard not to hesitate as she brings the cup to her lips. This should be safe. She needs to relax. Taking a deep breath she gives a weak smile to her more than gracious hosts.

“You should have seen the trouble Caspar got himself into last week.” Byleth chuckles. “He had found a tall jar of pickles and there were a few in the bottom, so he stuck his hand and most of his arm in the jar, and he had to get his hand stuck. Linhardt was busy and stubborn Cas won’t listen to anyone else. I kept telling him to let go of the pickle and he can get his hand out, however he refused because he said he was not about to let a pickle win. He wanted to shatter the jar, but I told him the pickle would win, thankfully I prevented that disaster. Finally, I spoke with him long enough to distract him, then requested he help me move a heavy table. So he dropped the pickle and took his arm out of the jar to help. Then I simply poured pickles and juice into a bowl for him to enjoy.”

Teatime moves along well, the happy couple sharing some splendid moments they enjoyed recently. Edelgard is pursuing painting, inviting Belle to her studio later this week. Belle stands to pour more tea for everyone. As she reaches for the teapot she hears the sound of an approaching missile. She realizes she is unarmed. Clearing the tea tray, she grabs and holds it in both hands.

“DOWN!” she screams. A steel crossbow bolt pierces a large glass panel in the wall of the atrium then strikes the metal tea tray causing a dent. The first pings of glass are from when the bolt pierces the window, then the rest of the glass shatters and falls around her. She briefly watches Hubert warp past in pursuit of the assailant.

“I am so sorry.” Belle says, helping her friends from under the table. “Let us go inside away from the windows.”

As the three of them leave the area, Belle locks the door and has a guard posted. “Nobody is to enter except Minister von Vestra.”

They escort Belle to the infirmary where Manuela assists with the removal of many shards of glass from Belle. The redhead then returns to her room to gather a change of clothes and heads down to her lab. It is chilly deep underground, she turns on some modified heaters to warm the room. Removing her left arm and powering some bright lights, she meticulously goes through the material of her ‘skin’ to remove all glass shards. She begins the repairs to her skin, there are so many holes and gouges to fill.

There is a knock at the door. Her blades are at her back, where they belong. She doesn’t have time to put the skin on, she fits a leather glove over her exposed mechanics as she reaches the door. She unlocks and unbolts the door, opening it to find a very upset Hubert waiting.

He waits until she secures the bolts, latches and locks before he wraps his arms around her, putting her tightly to his chest.

“What did it say?” she whispers into his chest.

“Don’t worry about that now.” He holds her tighter.

“What did it say?” she looks into his eyes.

“Why do they call you Crimson Death?” he asks.

“I am not just a blade, a weapon to use against them. If any of them meet me, I am Death personified.” She whispers.

“Hmm.” Hubert says. “It said:

_Sleep well, Crimson Death. This night may hopefully be your last._

“Then you tried to burn it?” She asks.

“I was outside at the time.”

“Smoke or explosion?”

“Poison smoke”

“The bolt?”

“Poison”

“Nobody is safe while I am here.”

“We need you here. _I_ need you here. “

She throws her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. “I thought I had run out of tears. “

Belle refuses to leave the laboratory. Hubert brings dinner and enough sundry items that she can change clothes and rest in a thick pile of blankets. She nods off for a few hours. When she awakes, Hubert has left, most likely consulting with his spies and obtaining their reports.

Belle retrieves her garb for working in the shadows. She checks her weapons-swords, daggers, shuriken, crossbow, bolts, pipe bombs, grenades, darts. A few healing potions and bandages. She’s ready to leave. She grabs the large heavy magnet from the shelf. Exiting the room, she can pull the sliding bolt back behind the door, engage two of the deadbolts and with two keys engages other locks.

There is a guard at the end of the corridor at the top of the stairs.

“No need to alert Hubert, I am going to see him directly.” She orders. The guard nods.

Using a secret passage, she dons her black night gear, sneaking through to the kitchen and out the door to behind bushes that allows her to slip out to the greenhouse. Once inside she observes guards patrolling until she can time their movements. Then it is a quick sprint, up the side of a tree, a ten foot leap and she is over the wall and outside the palace.

The clouds cover the moon for most of the night. This pleases her. Sneaking thru town, listening, spying. Killing Agarthans and anyone with them. She circles around and around the palace, meticulously inspecting every block. Looking into windows from rooftops. She switches back and forth between infra-red and night vision. Listening in on conversations.

She visits the poorer sides of Enbarr. She finds more there, in dark alleys performing dark deeds, in poorly lit taverns, cheap apartments. Here she does not worry about witnesses. Shooting through a glass window of a tavern or stabbing a lone person in a corner who now slumps onto the table, looking like they had too much to drink.

The night comes to a close, she works her way back to the palace. As the skies become lighter it adds to the difficulty of identifying them. She marches through the front gates of the palace, stashing her night gear. Again she is detained in a side room, waiting for Hubert to allow her to proceed into the palace. She knows he is furious. He makes her wait over an hour before entering the room. He grabs her by the forearm and warps her directly to her laboratory.

“You disobeyed direct orders.” He curses.

Folding her arms across her chest she looks away. “After the attack, everything is off the table.”

He brings his fingers to his face pinching the bridge of his nose. “What am I to do with you? “

“Avoid me if you wish to live.”

“You cannot speak like that!”

“What choice do I have?” She laments. “This is beyond having a price on my head. I can only hope my work tonight has put a wrench in the works for a few days.”

Hubert grips his chin. “Promise me this. You will not leave for the next 36 hours. You will eat, sleep, socialize and perform healthy activities. We will then discuss where we go from there.”

“I agree. Everything is off the table if there is another attack.” She swears.

He sighs heavily. “Agreed.”

She is exhausted and sleeps in her nest of soft blankets from sunrise until well after lunch. There is a note on her desk and a covered tray. Hubert leaves her coffee, a few fresh rolls and fruit for breakfast. He will return to take her to dinner with everyone.

After eating too much, she decides to continue her repairs to her skin. This takes some time as the gouges have to be filled in layers building up the thickness until it is smooth and even with the rest of the skin. While the layers dry she works on the mechanical portions. Some supporting metal has become bent, wires needing replacement and corrosion to be cleaned. She completely reassembles herself and makes certain she is presentable when Hubert is to arrive. He knows of her imperfections, saying he does not think less of her for them, however it still shames her when he sees her mechanical parts and she hides them from him.

Dinner with everyone is pleasant. Belle relaxes somewhat and enjoys the conversation around the table. They speak of the latest laws and changes in the government, Ferdinand talks about another horse he wishes to purchase. Byleth talks about a getaway he has planned for Edelgard and himself as they do need to take time to be a couple. Belle strongly encourages this as they have so little time for themselves. Hubert is his normal reticent self, either agreeing with Edelgard or saying nothing.

She finishes her last bite on her plate and smiles weakly at Hubert. He nods but does not smile. Manuela stands and beckons the redhead to accompany her.

Once again, Belle is on the examination table. Newly fractured ribs are treated, the infection on her back is slightly better. It is now freshly cleaned and rebandaged.

“I am wasting my words on you, aren’t I?” The songstress sighs.

Belle quietly gets dressed. “Thank you for all that you do.” She says as she leaves, heading back to the lower levels of the palace.

Her stomach full, she feels tired and settles back into her nest of blankets, reading one of Bernadetta’s manuscripts. She is interrupted by a knock at her door. She opens it to find Hubert with a cup of Bergamot tea.

“My apologies, I don’t have furniture in here for a tea party, but I would love for you to stay and talk if you would like.” She is terrified of speaking with him. She knows he is still furious with her.

“Thank you.” He says curtly as he enters the room, hanging his cape and overcoat onto a hook.

Hubert lets out a long frustrated sigh as he sits at her workbench, pinching the bridge. “You have no idea what havoc you have caused in the city. Dead bodies found everywhere. The citizens are in a state of panic. Rumors of gangs of rampaging, murderers skulking about the streets, killing everyone in sight. No one feels safe.”

“You know what they are capable of, I had to get rid of them.” Belle complains.

“You will not do that again.” Hubert orders.

“What if they attack again? What if they have more portable weapons? The unknown is the worst.” She walks over to the workbench, placing her tea upon it.

“Come here.” The dark mage groans, holding his arms open.

Belle melts into him, her nose at his neck, drinking in the scent of him. She shivers as his hands pull her closer to him.

“If I were in your shoes, I would be doing nearly the same thing. That is not saying that it is right.” He huffs.

“I cannot sit here and hide. I cannot wait for them to find me. What am I to do? Being here I am drawing them toward everyone that I care about the most. They will attack. I cannot risk everyone.” Belle is rambling, he raises a finger to her lips.

“You are panicking now. Shhhh. Calm yourself.” He holds her close.

Belle closes her eyes, slowing her breathing. It is so much easier with his arms wrapped around her. She relaxes, drawing circles on his back as she returns his embrace.

“Let’s get more comfortable.” The raven haired man offers, leading her to her nest. He lays back as she cuddles with him.

Safe. She feels safe in his arms.

She wakes as she feels him getting up to leave. He dresses, then places a tender kiss upon her lips.

“I must check with my spies to be certain all is well. Please rest.” He caresses her cheek before he warps off into the night.

Belle carries a table and two chairs to her lab so that she can sit and eat more comfortably. There have been no direct attacks on the palace to her knowledge. Hubert would not let her find out if there any. It would only further feed her paranoia. Manuela says she has better color and her face is filling back in a little. The infection has cleared well on her back. She lifts some weights in her lab, she cannot fully exercise, however she refuses to simply sit around all day.

Belle awakens this morning to her table covered by a map with pins in it, alongside of lists of items. The lists contain items that she would pack for a ‘hunting’ trip. She is excited and afraid at the same time. She impatiently waits until Hubert’s schedule allows for time to discuss this with her.

Belle is at the door before the second knock is completed. Hubert smiles and enters the room.

“It is time we complete this task.” He announces as he removes his jacket, taking a seat at the table. “We will first send a decoy, flying off on your Pegasus headed directly toward Arundel. You will wait in the stables in a carriage we will be taking to Myrddin and then to Garreg Mach. There we will meet with the remainder of your troops that were evacuated after you had left. We will then head through Remire to Arundel. You have one week to clean the remainder of them out. I will be with you every step of the way.”

Belle throws her arms around him hugging him tightly. “Thank you. We will finish this.”

She waits in the stables at three in the morning, watching her decoy mount her Pegasus. He is dressed as she normally is for fighting, with dual swords on his back looking very much like hers. His red wig tied in a braid he leads the beast outside and heads for the skies. She listens for a while thankfully hearing no magic explosions. Perhaps Hubert is correct, she has reduced their numbers significantly enough that they cannot watch every movement she makes. She enters the carriage, pulling closed the curtains. It is driven to the front of the palace where it is loaded with quite a few boxes and parcels. Just as the sun rises, Hubert leaves the doors of the palace and enters the carriage. The driver flicks the reins and they are on the road.

The Imperial Spy Master has arranged for a change of horses at particular points on the route. This is the only time the occupants of the carriage will leave the carriage to stretch their legs. Their travel is quick as the frequent change in horses keeps them moving at a faster pace. Soon they find themselves crossing the Aramid river and headed westward to the former Monastery. It is more of a military outpost these days, along with general schools.

Hubert assures Belle that the carriage will be monitored so that no one will touch it or sabotage it.

They dine in the dining hall, enjoying the freshly cooked foods after being on the road eating hardtack, sausage, fruit, and little variety. As they leave the area it is dark. Belle is anxious and finally she persuades Hubert to allow her to take a Pegasus on a quick recon flight around the area.

She returns after two hours. She is satisfied. She has not seen any Agarthans here. She returns the winged beast back to the stables and heads to the room they are staying. She washes the dirt from the road and finally settles down for the night. Hubert, never one to rest, has been at a table writing letters and reviewing paperwork. In the morning they leave early with a small squadron of various fighters to accompany them the rest of the way. By nightfall they are at Remire, what little that remains of the village. It never really recovered from that horrid night over eight years ago. Belle still remembers a handful of the villagers that stayed. The next morning they return to the road, the next stop is Arundel palace.

Belle slept in the carriage off and on throughout the course of the day. Once the sun begins to disappear over the horizon, she is awake and fully alert. The soldiers make their camp in a large clearing off the side of the road.

“You have never revealed as to how you can see who is an Agarthan.” Hubert probes, “I am able to tell once they cast their magic. I feel the darkness of it that is specifically theirs.

She sighs heavily. “I can see the heat of objects in the darkness. A living creature gives off heat. Rocks, stones, metal, they may have some heat, especially after sitting in the sun, however it is not as warm as a living creature. Humans all have a certain temperature to them. If their body temperature, the central core of their body becomes too cold, their internal organs shut down. Agarthans are underground dwellers. The ground is much cooler, their body temperature is much lower. So if I saw two male bodies standing before me, the brighter one would be the human, the lesser would be the Agarthan. She picks up a small stone from the ground and hands it to the dark mage.

“Hold this stone for a few moments. Your hand heats the stone. It takes a few moments before the heat transferred to the stone dissipates. If you drop the stone on the ground, I would see the glow of the heat on it compared to other stones around and I could pick it out of a pile of other stones. Right now I could walk among the soldiers we have with us. If they all show the same radiant warmth, they are all humans. If they glow to a lesser degree, they are not. Sometimes I can see the heat left on a handrail or doorframe touched by a person, this tells me that someone has been here not very long ago. The clothes on a person lessens the visible heat, so your head is much brighter than your chest. Your eyes are brighter than the rest of your face.

Hubert tosses the stone. Belle walks over and retrieves it. She grabs a second stone from the ground. Placing them next to each other in his hand.

Can you feel the difference in temperature? I can see that.

Hubert only nods, thinking back to so many instances where she may have used this. How nobody would ever sneak up on her in the dark. This made her even more special to him.

She takes her Pegasus to the skies, making wider circles to notice if there is approach of anyone to the camp. There is none at this time. She returns to Hubert advising of the status. They have not noticed her return yet. Things will be different once they are closer to the center of the province.

The next night she does see people approaching, mostly from the roadways. The ones she spies appear to be humans, most of them stopped on the side of the road camping. Well, they probably must thanks to her. During the ride the next day the evidence is clear. Any settlements seen from the road have been burnt to the ground.

They finally reach Arundel Palace just before the sun touches the far horizon. It looks peaceful and quiet from a distance. There is no sign of smoke. Most of it appears to be intact. They set up a base camp not far from the base of the hill the palace sits upon. A group of soldiers accompany Hubert and Belle up the zigzag road leading to the walled palace. The gate is still blown away.

Most of the soldiers are left outside the building. Belle leads Hubert and a few mages inside. The walls within are now ruined with graffiti that looks to have been painted with blood. Hatred towards Crimson Death. Death to the beasts, the animals roaming the world that belongs to the Agarthans. Mutilated bodies of her former soldiers are hanging from random chandeliers, dissected humans stuck onto the walls with spears.

“We’re not staying here.” She coldly announces.

“Agreed.” Hubert confirms. “There is still more to inspect. I know you have cleared this place, but I want to be absolutely certain.”

The group inspects each room on this level, then heads to a dual grand staircase to the second floor. The writings on the walls in Agarthan read, “Thales has ascended. The great and mighty Thales returns to us a god. He shall smite the animals and rightfully restore the Agarthans to the surface as it should be.”

Hubert leads the way through the halls, checking every room, he and his fellow sorcerers casting magic spells looking for traps amongst other things. As they walk around in a room upstairs, Belle calls for a halt. She advises she hears footsteps that do not belong to them. She pulls a sword from her back, the other hand grips a throwing dagger. They tread carefully, keeping Belle in the center of their group. As they approach the junction of the grand stair hall at least a dozen Agarthans warp into the area firing dark magic spells. Suddenly the ceiling collapses into the room along with several demonic beasts, their weight too heavy for the thin interior floor above the two story tall room. The bodies of the behemoths thrash in all directions sending plaster, wood, and metal in all directions. 

The mages battle each other with magic. Belle switches to grenades. The beasts are hit by fallout and shrapnel, causing them to thrash and flail their armored heads as well as long heavy tails, breaking walls and floors everywhere around the room. Belle decides to make a strategic retreat, heading down a hallway looking for a room on an outside wall. Grabbing a chair she throws it through the window, she is about to leap outside when Hubert grabs her and warps them both to the front of the building. There are a few Agarthans in front of the palace. She quickly guts two of them before they can finish their incantations, her companion striking the others with dark magic.

Not finding any other enemies on the outside, the redhead runs to the edge of the property to see that there is fighting in the encampment. Beasts are being dealt with there as well. Turning her attention back to the palace, the sound of magical attacks has ceased. Only the flailing and roaring of demonic beasts comes from the building. She turns to Hubert who is ordering his mages to assist with removing the enemies from the camp. The soldiers that they had left outside are all dead.

The camp is in chaos when they arrive. They build what shelters they can for their survivors. Belle is working with the clerics healing the wounded. Once she is out of magic she is on a Pegasus, rounding up some of the horses that were scattered by the beasts. By the sunrise things are being reorganized. Camp is much farther away The dead are buried. The beasts are all dead. Belle sleeps for a few hours in the carriage that she had arrived in, it was far enough away from the central battles it came through unscathed. She wakens at lunch, eats with the soldiers, then moves two of the large boxes from the carriage to the palace. Hubert no longer needs to search the remainder of the building. Belle wires explosives into key places and then collapses most of the structure.

Returning to camp, the redheaded woman collapses in the carriage. It feels like a great weight is lifted from her shoulders to be done with that place. She needs sleep now, she will be up all night searching for the remaining enemy hiding around the territory.

When she wakes from her nap, Hubert is busy with the troops, setting alarms and traps all around the perimeter of the area to alert them of any intrusion by the Agarthans. He has not slept much in the last day. Belle convinces him to stay here. She takes two of his mages that are Pegasus riders for her rounds to find any Agarthans this night. 

Heading to the skies she searches for any heat sources. When she spots something, she and her companions head closer to the ground. She finds two horses that may have been theirs, however it is not worth it to stop and take them back to the camp. She finds more Agarthans, scattered farther apart than before. The mages cast spells, searching the remains. Belle finds this hunting much easier than previously. She has a safe place to return to and reinforcements if things should get dangerous. The swordsmaster clears every one of them she finds in the area. The troops pack up and head south through Remire and across the valleys in the Oghma mountains. They cross into Varley territory heading south through Myrrdin. Each night she hunts. Before she knows it, they are back to Enbarr.

Hubert pulls Belle aside as they head to the Imperial Palace. He requests that they sit down and discuss the situation of Agarthans in the city. They will have to agree upon what is done and to what degree. He will not allow another massive event in the city, terrorizing the citizens.

After they have cleaned up, eaten and taken care of a few necessities, they meet in Belle’s lab. The war has been over for quite some time and the citizenry of Enbarr has become unaccustomed to finding piles of dead bodies lying about. Belle agrees to only hunt when accompanied by a few assistants. They can complete the necessary cleanup after a removal. She is limited in the number of bodies she can produce at a time, and if there is a large group, Hubert wants to be involved in the planning of their disposal.

Her first night hunting she does find a few Agarthans, however it was nothing like the last time. She had found ten of them scattered fairly far apart prior to the sunrise. She isn’t sure if they are hiding deeper, giving her a false sense of security, or if the truly has lowered their numbers to this point. 

She continues every night until she returns without finding one.

At that time she begins to relax. She heads out in the public during the day. Socializes with everyone in the palace. Joins them in rooms with windows. Has tea in the gardens.

This evening she joins Hubert and Ferdinand as they attend the Opera. They visit with many other attendees until it is time to take their seats. As soon as the house lights dim, Belle shifts to the edge of her seat. After a few moments she sits back and relaxes. Hubert takes her hand, she looks up at him and smiles. There is not one of them here. The trio enjoys the opera immensely and happily discuss it all the way back in the carriage.

Hubert invites her back to his quarters for a nightcap. Hubert pours their brandy as she sits on the loveseat.

“This is the most relaxed I have seen you in a very long time.” Hubert comments as he hands her the snifter.

“Thank you for taking me. The opera was beautiful. I have had a wonderful evening.” She says as she raises her glass for a toast. “To many more wonderful evenings together.”

Hubert taps his glass lightly to hers and takes a sip from his glass. He places his on the end table and as he turns back to her, suddenly he is on one knee with a box in hand. She gasps in surprise.

“Marry me, let us spend the rest of our lives relaxing in each other’s arms.” His deep voice only wavers a tiny bit as he opens the box to reveal a ring with a stone the same color as his eyes.

“Yes.” She smiles.

Placing the ring on her finger, they kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the pleasant ending. 
> 
> But will you dare read the angst filled Epilogue? 
> 
> I've really enjoyed writing Belle. I do wonder what would have happened if she had joined a different house? What secrets would Claude try to pull from her?   
> Dimitri and she comparing how they are a worse monster than the other?


End file.
